Draymond Green has been the maestro of the Golden State Warriors' offense since 2015. Last year was one of the better seasons of his career. He averaged a career-best 8.9 assists, which was fourth-best in the NBA.
Green reached this milestone with minimal help last year. He was without his statistical favorite target Klay Thompson the entire year. Multiple players, including superstar Stephen Curry, were in and out of the lineup with injuries and Covid safety protocols. Hitting that career mark with all these issues present could indicate a bigger year next season.
Last season Green recorded 74.2 touches per game. For comparison, the only other player on the Warriors roster who had more was Stephen Curry at 81.3, who passed 63.2 times per game, the sixth-most in the league.
Here are three reasons Green could lead the NBA in assists during the 2021-22 season.
Draymond Green Warriors keys:
1. The return of Klay Thompson
Getting Klay Thompson back will be a massive help in Green's chances of leading the league in assists. Since the 2013-14 season, Green has 651 assists to Thompson. There hasn’t been a single season where another player aided Green in more assists. Having the second half of The Splash Brothers back in the lineup could potentially push Green to double-digit assists per game.
Thompson currently averages 19.5 points for his career. Unlike many great scorers, he does most of his work without dribbling, and he's one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the NBA. When he scores 30 or more, Green will be cashing in on a ton of assists.
2. A healthy roster
Another thing that can help Green become the assist champ is health. If the team can play most of the year at full strength, chemistry will build, and as the floor general, Green should efficiently distribute buckets for everyone.
However, it wasn't only Thompson that missed time this past season. Green missed the first four games of the year and couldn't come into the season in shape because of an injury. Curry played a good portion of the year with a fractured tailbone, and although he put up career numbers, the injury slowed him down.
The Warriors were also without big man James Wiseman at the end of the year, who averaged 11.5 points on 51.9 percent shooting. The fact Green averaged this many assists with this many problems was amazing.
3. Warriors 3-point shooting
Lastly, shooters will shoot. This season Green could be surrounded by the best shooters he's had on a team. The Warriors could be the best three-point shooting team in the NBA. If they can live up to those possibilities, it's no reason Green's assists total shouldn't raise.
The Warriors have shooters everywhere. They have a total of eight players who have shot at least 40% from deep for an entire season. This team could potentially shoot 40% as a team this year.
These are the three reasons Green could lead to NBA in assists. With him leading the way and controlling the Warriors' offense, he could easily lead the league in assists at the end of the season. It would be one more accolade to go on his Hall of Fame resume.
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