While 2015 NBA MVP and the the league's current scoring leader Stephen Curry commands the majority of the media attention in the Golden State Warriors locker room due to his striking smile and laid-back demeanor, another member of the defending NBA champion squad could be deserving off all of that himself.
After proving himself as a defensive stopper in the 2015 NBA Finals, Warriors power forward Draymond Green has risen his game to new heights so far in 2015-16, cementing his status as potentially the best big man in transition that the NBA has ever witnessed while making noise around the league for his deadly scoring ability, improved shooting stroke, breakneck passing skills and his trademark hustle.
Despite the fact that Green may not be as flashy as the league's defending Most Valuable Player, the fourth-year veteran could be considered the most valuable asset that Golden State has in their rotation.
So far in 2015-16, Green has posted averages of 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, all while shooting 46% from the field and 38% from three-point land.
When you compare Green's 2014-15 output with that of this season, the improvement is startling. In last year's campaign in which he started 79 games, Green averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals while shooting 44% from the field and 33% from three.
While the upping of his points per game average might just be a reflection of his increase in shots per game, up from 9.7 per game last season to 11.4 per game this season, his increase in assists per game is simply baffling.
Watch Green on any given night and you will be astonished by his ability to find open teammates in transition while harnessing the skills to create open looks for his fellow Warriors in the half-court offense as well, a facet of his game that results in a free-flowing offensive attack for Golden State.
Green's inflated assist numbers also reflect the trust that temporary head coach Luke Walton has in the Michigan State product to handle the ball and to run the offense. Walton grants Green the opportunity to possess the ball, allowing him to create offensive looks for himself and his teammates.
Not only can Green handle the rock and dish it to his teammates like a point guard would, he also is a force to be reckoned with on the inside block, ranking 15th in the NBA in blocks per game while utilizing his 230-pound build to box out opponents, grab rebounds, and score relentlessly in the paint.
Add all of these skills to Green's refined stroke from three-point range (he averages 1.4 three-point makes per game), and you receive outings such as his 24-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist, five-block, and five-steal game in the Warriors double-overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on December 11.
With this performance, Green reached uncharted waters as he became just the third player in the last 40 seasons to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and five steals in a single game (Hakeem Olajuwon and Derrick Coleman were the other two), proving himself capable of being called the NBA's best all-around performer.