What Draymond Green brings to the struggling second unit
Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green's addition to the second unit has given team a boost
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica Zubac (40), Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) struggle for a rebound in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 24, 2022 at 6:02 a.m. | UPDATED: November 24, 2022 at 12:06 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/11/24/what-draymond-green-brings-to-the-struggling-second-unit/

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors might have found an answer for their second-unit woes.

Their two victories this week can be attributed, at least in part, to Draymond Green’s new role as a second-unit glue guy. Pace-pusher. Decision-maker. Anchor defender.

While remaining a member of the starting five, Green also has been playing increased minutes with the second unit. Coach Steve Kerr went that way Sunday against Houston, and the Warriors got their first road win of the season after eight tries.

Kerr went back to it against the Clippers, and the Warriors won 124-107. Putting Green with Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Lamb, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole at the start of the second and fourth quarters helped stabilize a bench that has been bleeding leads.

“When Draymond is at his best, he’s pushing the ball like crazy,” Kerr said. “You saw it early in the game. We got a couple passes over the top. Guys were really sprinting the floor and because we weren’t fouling, we were able to get out and run.

“But when Draymond came back in with the second unit, both in the second and fourth quarters, he continued to push the pace and it just opened up the floor, and it gave us more rhythm than we’ve had with that group.”

For Green, pushing the pace actually means slowing the game down.

“That unit should not play as fast as the first unit,” he said. “It should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense. For me, it’s just trying to slow that unit down.

“Number two, make sure that unit is defending. As a second unit, your job isn’t to go out there and build the lead, your job is to maintain the lead.”

Against a Clippers team playing without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Warriors’ second unit managed to expand the leads before Steph Curry and Klay Thompson returned to the floor. The bench turned a three-point lead after the first quarter into a 10-point lead in the second quarter. In the fourth, the unit bumped a 17-point lead to 21.

The plan is working so far. But is it sustainable?

Green’s minutes with the starting five weren’t seriously compromised by his time with the second unit Wednesday, His total minutes (33) were the most on the team and above his average (30.4 this season, 28.5 career). Moreover, they don’t reflect that the blowout allowed Green to sit the last six minutes of the game.

Will the new rotation separate Green from Curry? If so, Green sees Looney being able to fill the facilitator role when he can’t. More important is for Green to help unlock Poole, who had another rough game Wednesday, missing 12 of 15 shots and all eight tries from beyond the arc.

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Poole is shooting 31 percent from 3 and hasn’t found his rhythm as a lead playmaker in the second unit. He could benefit from some time off the ball.

“There’s times where you’re asking Jordan to score, asking him to get everyone in the offense,” Green said. “He’s 23. He’s in his fourth year. It takes a while to figure it out. So I look at it more as a safety net than a danger with one of us being on the court almost at all times. I think that’s great for us..”

Until Poole can evolve as a more capable passer (or if the Warriors add to the group), Green might be a mainstay in the second-unit rotation. It will give the bench players the confidence and synergy they need.

“Being in that unit, you can almost feel snakebit when things start to go wrong,” Green said. “When you feel that way it’s hard to overcome that. It’s very important that the unit gets a couple easy baskets and if you can get that, everything starts to flow.”

Allen wrote:
> What Draymond Green brings to the struggling second unit
> Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green's addition to the second unit has given team a boost
>> SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica Zubac (40), Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) struggle for a rebound in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
> By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
> PUBLISHED: November 24, 2022 at 6:02 a.m. | UPDATED: November 24, 2022 at 12:06 p.m.
> https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/11/24/what-draymond-green-brings-to-the-struggling-second-unit/
>
>
> SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors might have found an answer for their second-unit woes.
>
> Their two victories this week can be attributed, at least in part, to Draymond Green’s new role as a second-unit glue guy. Pace-pusher. Decision-maker. Anchor defender.
>
> While remaining a member of the starting five, Green also has been playing increased minutes with the second unit. Coach Steve Kerr went that way Sunday against Houston, and the Warriors got their first road win of the season after eight tries.
>
> Kerr went back to it against the Clippers, and the Warriors won 124-107. Putting Green with Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Lamb, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole at the start of the second and fourth quarters helped stabilize a bench that has been bleeding leads.
>
> “When Draymond is at his best, he’s pushing the ball like crazy,” Kerr said. “You saw it early in the game. We got a couple passes over the top. Guys were really sprinting the floor and because we weren’t fouling, we were able to get out and run.
>
> “But when Draymond came back in with the second unit, both in the second and fourth quarters, he continued to push the pace and it just opened up the floor, and it gave us more rhythm than we’ve had with that group.”
>
> For Green, pushing the pace actually means slowing the game down.
>
> “That unit should not play as fast as the first unit,” he said. “It should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense. For me, it’s just trying to slow that unit down.
>
> “Number two, make sure that unit is defending. As a second unit, your job isn’t to go out there and build the lead, your job is to maintain the lead.”
>
> Against a Clippers team playing without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Warriors’ second unit managed to expand the leads before Steph Curry and Klay Thompson returned to the floor. The bench turned a three-point lead after the first quarter into a 10-point lead in the second quarter. In the fourth, the unit bumped a 17-point lead to 21.
>
> The plan is working so far. But is it sustainable?
>
> Green’s minutes with the starting five weren’t seriously compromised by his time with the second unit Wednesday, His total minutes (33) were the most on the team and above his average (30.4 this season, 28.5 career). Moreover, they don’t reflect that the blowout allowed Green to sit the last six minutes of the game.
>
> Will the new rotation separate Green from Curry? If so, Green sees Looney being able to fill the facilitator role when he can’t. More important is for Green to help unlock Poole, who had another rough game Wednesday, missing 12 of 15 shots and all eight tries from beyond the arc.
>
> RELATED ARTICLES
>
> Andrew Wiggins lights up from 3 in Warriors blowout win against undermanned Clippers
> Warriors center Kevon Looney grateful for family, teammates, health this Thanksgiving
> Warriors: 3 things we learned from the short road trip
> ‘Tough night’ for shorthanded Warriors who suffer blowout loss to Pelicans
> Warriors face second lawsuit in wake of FTX collapse
> Poole is shooting 31 percent from 3 and hasn’t found his rhythm as a lead playmaker in the second unit. He could benefit from some time off the ball.
>
> “There’s times where you’re asking Jordan to score, asking him to get everyone in the offense,” Green said. “He’s 23. He’s in his fourth year. It takes a while to figure it out. So I look at it more as a safety net than a danger with one of us being on the court almost at all times. I think that’s great for us.”
>
> Until Poole can evolve as a more capable passer (or if the Warriors add to the group), Green might be a mainstay in the second-unit rotation. It will give the bench players the confidence and synergy they need.
>
> “Being in that unit, you can almost feel snakebit when things start to go wrong,” Green said. “When you feel that way it’s hard to overcome that. It’s very important that the unit gets a couple easy baskets and if you can get that, everything starts to flow.”
>

This one makes sense to me. Besides a temporary move of Wiseman to
Santa Cruz, I've thought that a different mix between first and second
units might help, as well. I that last year, Poole played most of the
season on the first unit, and it may be that some of his problems this
year might be doing a lot less time in the second unit. In a similar
way, I have wondered if having Klay on the second unit a little more,
might help him settle down with trying too hard to be the old Klay.

However, if having Green doing some work with the second unit helps
settle them down, I'm good with that, too.

Smith

NFN Smith wrote:
> Allen wrote:
>> What Draymond Green brings to the struggling second unit
>> Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green's addition to the second unit
>> has given team a boost
>>> SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica
>>> Zubac (40), Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and Golden
>>> State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) struggle for a rebound in the
>>> second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco,
>>> Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
>> By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
>> PUBLISHED: November 24, 2022 at 6:02 a.m. | UPDATED: November 24, 2022
>> at 12:06 p.m.
>> https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/11/24/what-draymond-green-brings-to-the-struggling-second-unit/
>>
>>
>>
>> SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors might have found an answer for their
>> second-unit woes.
>>
>> Their two victories this week can be attributed, at least in part, to
>> Draymond Green’s new role as a second-unit glue guy. Pace-pusher.
>> Decision-maker. Anchor defender.
>>
>> While remaining a member of the starting five, Green also has been
>> playing increased minutes with the second unit. Coach Steve Kerr went
>> that way Sunday against Houston, and the Warriors got their first road
>> win of the season after eight tries.
>>
>> Kerr went back to it against the Clippers, and the Warriors won
>> 124-107. Putting Green with Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Lamb, Andrew
>> Wiggins and Jordan Poole at the start of the second and fourth
>> quarters helped stabilize a bench that has been bleeding leads.
>>
>> “When Draymond is at his best, he’s pushing the ball like crazy,” Kerr
>> said. “You saw it early in the game. We got a couple passes over the
>> top. Guys were really sprinting the floor and because we weren’t
>> fouling, we were able to get out and run.
>>
>> “But when Draymond came back in with the second unit, both in the
>> second and fourth quarters, he continued to push the pace and it just
>> opened up the floor, and it gave us more rhythm than we’ve had with
>> that group.”
>>
>> For Green, pushing the pace actually means slowing the game down.
>>
>> “That unit should not play as fast as the first unit,” he said. “It
>> should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more
>> patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense.
>> For me, it’s just trying to slow that unit down.
>>
>> “Number two, make sure that unit is defending. As a second unit, your
>> job isn’t to go out there and build the lead, your job is to maintain
>> the lead.”
>>
>> Against a Clippers team playing without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George,
>> the Warriors’ second unit managed to expand the leads before Steph
>> Curry and Klay Thompson returned to the floor. The bench turned a
>> three-point lead after the first quarter into a 10-point lead in the
>> second quarter. In the fourth, the unit bumped a 17-point lead to 21.
>>
>> The plan is working so far. But is it sustainable?
>>
>> Green’s minutes with the starting five weren’t seriously compromised
>> by his time with the second unit Wednesday, His total minutes (33)
>> were the most on the team and above his average (30.4 this season,
>> 28.5 career). Moreover, they don’t reflect that the blowout allowed
>> Green to sit the last six minutes of the game.
>>
>> Will the new rotation separate Green from Curry? If so, Green sees
>> Looney being able to fill the facilitator role when he can’t. More
>> important is for Green to help unlock Poole, who had another rough
>> game Wednesday, missing 12 of 15 shots and all eight tries from beyond
>> the arc.
>>
>> RELATED ARTICLES
>>
>> Andrew Wiggins lights up from 3 in Warriors blowout win against
>> undermanned Clippers
>> Warriors center Kevon Looney grateful for family, teammates, health
>> this Thanksgiving
>> Warriors: 3 things we learned from the short road trip
>> ‘Tough night’ for shorthanded Warriors who suffer blowout loss to
>> Pelicans
>> Warriors face second lawsuit in wake of FTX collapse
>> Poole is shooting 31 percent from 3 and hasn’t found his rhythm as a
>> lead playmaker in the second unit. He could benefit from some time off
>> the ball.
>>
>> “There’s times where you’re asking Jordan to score, asking him to get
>> everyone in the offense,” Green said. “He’s 23. He’s in his fourth
>> year. It takes a while to figure it out. So I look at it more as a
>> safety net than a danger with one of us being on the court almost at
>> all times. I think that’s great for us.”
>>
>> Until Poole can evolve as a more capable passer (or if the Warriors
>> add to the group), Green might be a mainstay in the second-unit
>> rotation. It will give the bench players the confidence and synergy
>> they need.
>>
>> “Being in that unit, you can almost feel snakebit when things start to
>> go wrong,” Green said. “When you feel that way it’s hard to overcome
>> that. It’s very important that the unit gets a couple easy baskets and
>> if you can get that, everything starts to flow.”
>>
>
> This one makes sense to me.  Besides a temporary move of Wiseman to
> Santa Cruz, I've thought that a different mix between first and second
> units might help, as well.  I that last year, Poole played most of the
> season on the first unit, and it may be that some of his problems this
> year might be doing a lot less time in the second unit.  In a similar
> way, I have wondered if having Klay on the second unit a little more,
> might help him settle down with trying too hard to be the old Klay.
>
> However, if having Green doing some work with the second unit helps
> settle them down, I'm good with that, too.
>
> Smith

Kerr has put Wiggins out there some with Green and the bench players
these last couple of games. Kerr has finally realized that an all-bench
unit group simply doesn't work with these players.

The underlying question is whether any of the young players can turn
into dependable rotation players by the end of the season. Kuminga might
be the best bet, and I'd really like to see Wiseman succeed.

--Robin