© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
It would not be absurd to have dubbed Anthony Davis as a top-two player in the world during his opening-round dominance. The Pelicans forward averaged 33 points on nearly 58 percent shooting, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 2.8 blocks in New Orleans’ sweep over the No. 3-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.
For the Pelicans to continue their postseason magic, they would need Davis to replicate, and potentially elevate his performance against the more talented Warriors. He would need to be the best player on the floor.
After two games, he hasn’t been the series’ best frontcourt player. That title belongs to Draymond Green, who is playing some of the best basketball of his career amid a 2-0 Golden State lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.
“I think he’s just incredibly engaged and locked in,” said Steve Kerr before Game 2. “This is the best I have seen him play all year. Draymond plays so hard; he has to play hard to do what he does. I think the playoffs have energized him.”
Green produced 16 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, and two blocks in Game 1. He delivered an encore of 20 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, and two blocks in Game 2. He is averaging a triple-double through two games. The Warriors have collectively outscored the Pelicans by 34 points with Green on the floor.
The numbers are gaudy, but they don’t fully encapsulate Green’s presence on both ends, which can only be discerned by watching the three-time All-Star on a possession by possession basis.
He is always cutting, passing, and attacking the boards, serving as both the team’s offensive conductor and energizer. With Stephen Curry returned in Game 2, Green used the defense’s gravitational pull toward Curry to find holes in the defense and find open shooters. Green is averaging 82.6 passes per game in the playoffs, the second-most of any player.
Green accentuated a brilliant Game-2 performance by drilling consecutive three-pointers to extend Golden State’s lead to eight points at the start of the fourth quarter. Those makes, which Kerr called the ‘two biggest shots of the game,’ gave the Warriors the cushion they needed to fend off the pesky Pelicans.
Comparatively, Davis is averaging 23 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.5 blocks through the first two games of the series. In Game 2, he scored 25 points with 15 rebounds and three blocks, while producing a +2 advantage when he was on the floor.
It isn’t like Davis hasn’t showed up. It’s just that Green has outplayed him.
Despite his numbers, Davis has never looked truly comfortable or in a rhythm. The tag team of Green and Kevon Looney has smothered Davis. Green has supplied physicality and athleticism, while Looney has supplied length.
Early in the third quarter of Game 2, there was a play in which Davis pump-faked a three-pointer and drove to the rim. Green closed out hard, recovered well, stuck to Davis’ hip, and pinned his shot against the glass. The block led to a fastbreak that resulted in a Nick Young three-pointer — from Green’s assist.
The play epitomized the ‘Draymond effect.’ After the Warriors 121-116 Tuesday night, Kerr said he thinks Green stands only at 6-foot-5, meaning he is surrendering about five inches to the springy Davis.
So, what makes Green, the 2017 defensive player of the year, so disruptive?
“Competitive desire, incredibly long arms,” Kerr said. “(He has) really, really long arms, very strong legs, so he establishes position down there. And he is incredibly smart — he’s one of the smartest defenders I have ever been around. He kind of beats people to a spot, then he uses his strength, then the length comes into play, then he yells and screams and intimidates— all of the above.”
Davis terrorized Golden State in three regular season matchups, averaging 33 points on nearly 60 percent shooting and 14 rebounds. The Warriors haven’t allowed him to find a rhythm in the postseason. They have double-teamed him, forced him out of the post, crowded his jump shots, and generally made life as hard as possible for one of the biggest mismatches in the league.
Davis will need to elevate his play to another level for the Pelicans to make this series competitive, or even win a game, with Curry back in the fold. Standing in his way is Green, who has been the series’ best player through two games.