Game Details
- Tip Off: 4:00 p.m.(PT)
- Television: CSN-BA
Washington Wizards Team Profile
- Offensive Efficiency: 94.4 (30th in NBA)
- Defensive Efficiency: 102.9 (16th in NBA)
Leaders
- Points: Jordan Crawford, 13.7 PPG
- Rebounds: Kevin Seraphin, 5.9 RPG
- Assists: A.J. Price, 5.2 APG
- Steals: Trevor Ariza, 1.9 SPG
- Blocks: Emeka Okafor, 1.4 BPG
- Field Goal Percentage: Earl Barron, 52.6% FG
- 3-Point Field Goal Percentage: Martell Webster, 42.2% 3PT FG
Scope the Opposition: Truth About It.
Preview: A few days ago, Patrick Hayes of PistonPowered asked for my take on Draymond Green and this was my response:
Believe it or not, there are times at which Draymond Green has looked like the best defensive player on the Warriors. He understands his assignments and routinely covers up for teammates when they miss theirs and then sprints back to his man. It’s fascinating to watch and appreciate his basketball IQ despite his lack of NBA experience.
And just for good measure, he gets called upon to defend good power forwards as well as small forwards because he has the size and foot speed to stay with most players that are his size. Offensively though, he’s been decent at best. Teams have exposed his inability to make perimeter jumpers so far by simply rotating off him and daring him to make plays, which he has not yet done. Consequently, he is feeling his way through the offense but I suspect that at some point he’ll understand how he fits with his teammates on that side of the ball and how to maximize his potential as well as theirs with his unique skillset as a passing big man.
Green has slowly started to get more and more minutes, and with the increased opportunities he has been able to become more productive and more importantly he’s rewarded the faith that the coaching staff has entrusted in him.
Have a look at the box score from last night’s game courtesy of NBA.com:
Although the box score does not tell you exactly what happened against the Brooklyn Nets, it’s at least obvious that Green (he’s the last player in the box score sheet) got some heavy minutes last night, which typically is a sign of player’s contributions benefitting the team and giving it a chance to be victorious.
Indeed, Green rebounded, passed the ball and struggled a bit to make shots, but he was still an impressive plus-17 from the floor. Part of the reason the Warriors were so much better with him on the floor was his ability to defend whichever played came before him. He made life difficult for Joe Johnson and also did a good job of boxing out his man and cleaning up on the boards to finish the Dubs’ defensive possessions.
In previewing tonight’s game over at Truth About It, Warriors World’s own Jordan Ramirez touched on the topic:
@JRAM_91: Draymond Green has seen increased minutes lately with the injuries to Brandon Rush and Richard Jefferson. When facing Brooklyn, Mark Jackson preferred the defensive minded Green over touted rookie Harrison Barnes, and it paid off. Green was very active on the defensive end, flashing hands, facing up Joe Johnson and forcing turnovers. Green is also tough to handle in the rebounding department, grabbing 10 against the Nets (playing a season high 28 minutes) and being the all-time leading rebounder in Michigan State history. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of Draymond Green tonight, especially if Barnes struggles with his shot or defense early.
Considering the Warriors will be playing the back end of a back-to-back tonight in Washington, it stands to reason that Mark Jackson might lean on his bench a little more than usual, and if that’s the case, Green might see big minutes again for the second consecutive contest. Granted, it’s important that the former Spartan produces with the minutes he gets in order to remain in the game, but so far he has done just that.
The Warriors have played well so far on this east coast trip, let’s see if that continues in Washington…
Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can contact me by email at [email protected].