Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will go down in history as an enforcer, a modern-day Dennis Rodman type. His jump shooting, however, has never scared anybody.
But on Tuesday night, the four-time champion finally caught lightning in a bottle, converting 5-of-7 three-point attempts in a historic win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Green was feeling himself, as he didn't even bother shooting from two-point range.
The red-hot performance sparked high praise from NBA legend and analyst Reggie Miller, calling Green a “Splash Cousin” on the TNT broadcast. Of course, that's a play off the famous “Splash Brothers” nickname, referring to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Green took the humble route after getting asked about the compliment postgame, via the Warriors' official X account.
“I appreciate the compliment, but I don't want that pressure,” Green said. “I don't need that pressure. The way them guys shoot the ball…I had a night, I'll take my night, but I don't need that pressure.”
While Green may never reach his teammates' lofty shooting heights, will he be able to add a consistent jumper in the twilight of his career?
Draymond Green with a jumper would make the Warriors more dangerous
Green has never been a particularly strong three-point shooter, hitting just 31.9% of his long-range looks over his career. However, he's posting a 39.5% clip this year, which would be a career-high mark. The 34-year-old is picking the right time to improve his shooting, as he's less mobile than he used to be.
Throughout the years of the Warriors' dynasty and beyond, the meme quote “everybody gangsta till Draymond start hitting threes” gained steam. With Golden State already sporting the Splash Brothers as well as Kevin Durant, the defenses had more than enough to worry about. Whenever Green would hit threes, the Warriors were basically unbeatable.
EVERYBODY GANGSTA TILL DRAYMOND START HITTING 3’S 👅 pic.twitter.com/IEnLcthy4J
— CERTIFIED WARRIOR BOY (@sumiiitup) April 10, 2024
While this Warriors team is no longer a juggernaut, it's still true that they're very hard to beat when Green is hitting from deep. Opposing teams tend to leave Green open from beyond the arc, and if he can make them pay they become even more dangerous.
That was on full display in Tuesday's game, with the Warriors hitting 26 triples on 41 attempts. The 63.4% conversion rate is a new NBA record.
If Green keeps shooting the long ball at a high level, Golden State will have a much better chance of making it through the play-in and making noise in the playoffs. Just don't call him a “Splash Cousin” just yet.
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