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The first-round playoff series between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets has certainly been the most physical in the league. These two teams do not like one another whatsoever, which has resulted in multiple confrontations and technical fouls, most of which have involved Draymond Green.
No matter how you feel about him, there is no denying that Green is one of the best emotional leaders in the NBA. Not to mention, he is an elite two-way forward in terms of making plays for others and continuously stepping up to be the anchor of Golden State's defense.
Although his defense has stood out, allowing the Warriors to take a 2-1 series lead ahead of Game 4 on Monday night, Draymond has been held in check for the most part on offense. Through three games, the Dubs' leader only has 19 total points, eight assists, and 12 turnovers.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently discussed Green's impact, stating that the veteran still faces a big challenge for Golden State to potentially advance in the postseason.
“They're putting (Fred) VanVleet on him for a reason. They're trying to take away Draymond's playmaking and take him out of our offensive scheme as best they can. So this is not an easy series for Dray,” Kerr stated, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “This is a very difficult series in a lot of ways, and they're doing a good job of just trying to get him out of places where he can usually impact the game on the offensive end.
“The big challenge for Dray is to embrace that and accept the fact that we're going to generate offensive elsewhere and he can still control the game defensively, regardless of what happens on the offensive end.”
Without Jimmy Butler on the floor in a 104-93 win over the Rockets in Game 3, Green ended up with seven points, eight rebounds, and four assists. However, he made his presence felt on defense with three blocks and two steals. Late in the fourth quarter, Green made several defensive plays both as an on-ball and off-ball defender, helping lead the Warriors to a win.
“I thought his fourth-quarter defense was incredible,” Kerr continued. “But he has to maintain that poise and that edge, even through the physicality and the offensive stuff they're taking away from him.”
Green is a vital part of the Warriors' success. To get past the Rockets and potentially advance further in the playoffs, the Dubs will need his defensive leadership and playmaking on offense.
While the Rockets have slowed him down on offense, Green has continuously stepped up to make big players in this series. As long as he doesn't let some of these offensive struggles get to him, Draymond will continue to find success on defense.
The Warriors and Rockets will meet in Game 4 of this first-round series on Monday night in San Francisco.
