Draymond Green is quietly having an excellent offensive season

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green is known as a destroyer opposing offenses. His basketball IQ, versatility, and strength make him a nightmare for scorers across the league.

Offensively, Draymond has always been streaky. He’s an amazing passer, great in transition, and smart within the Warriors’ system. However, he’s also turnover-prone and an inconsistent shooter who can disappear for long stretches.

Draymond Green thrived under Luke Walton during the Warriors’ early 2015-2016 season, when they went on to win 73 games. He averaged a career-high 38% from three-point range and 7.4 assists a game, and was a huge part of the pick-and-roll offense.

Last year, with the introduction of Kevin Durant, Green took a backseat in the offensive scheme. He got up fewer shots, averaged fewer assists, and shot far worse from the field. Generally, he looked like he had trouble adjusting to another MVP scorer in the mix.

So far this season, the box score statistics look decent for Green. At 10.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, his numbers are fairly similar to last year’s.

But a closer look at his statistics reveal another story: Draymond is shooting less, but is far more efficient. He’s fourth on the team in shot attempts, but he’s far behind Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Durant.

Ultimately, this shot distribution is optimal for the Warriors’ offense. Curry, Thompson, and Durant should be attempting the most shots because they are three of the top ten scorers in the league. Draymond is picking his spots, and picking them well.

Green is simply shooting better than he ever has in his career, from all over the court . His 64% True Shooting is by far the best of his career, and his 38% accuracy on threes is near his career-high. He’s also improved his finishing, leading the league among qualified players in restricted area field goal percentage, at 83%.

When Green proves he can shoot from long-range, defenses have to honor the Warriors’ spacing. That opens up the lane for drives, pick-and-rolls, cuts, and more. It remains to be seen if Draymond can keep his efficiency up, but if he’s shooting well in the playoffs, teams won’t have any chance of stopping the Warriors’ offense.

Some of Green’s counting stats, like his assist and rebound numbers, are slightly down compared to last year solely because he is playing fewer minutes this year. The sole area of concern is Green’s turnovers: He’s turning over around 27% of the Warriors’ possessions when he’s on the court, and simply has to be more careful with his passes. His 3.8 turnovers per 36 minutes is unacceptable.

Green’s new scoring efficiency is a welcome surprise to the Warriors’ historic offense. Let’s hope it’s here to stay.