In no surprise to himself, Draymond Green ended Sunday averaging a career-high 8.8 assists per game.
Green racked up 13 in the Warriors' win over the Kings on Sunday at Chase Center, moving into fourth in the NBA in assist average. Only point guards Russell Westbrook (10.9 per game), James Harden (10.9) and Trae Young (9.6) are dropping more dimes on a nightly basis, and Green is averaging slightly more assists per night than NBA MVP favorite Nikola Jokic.
Golden State's point forward -- or, point center when the Warriors go small -- has never lacked confidence, arguing just this month that he was the greatest defender in NBA history. Naturally, Green also holds his passing in high regard.
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"No, it doesn't shock me 'cause I think I'm one of the best passers in the NBA, you know?" Green said in his postgame video conference when a reporter informed he ranked fourth in the NBA in assists.
"So it doesn't necessarily shock me. And saying that, to be up there with all point guards is incredible -- and Joker, because he pass better than just about anybody who play the game of basketball, so to be up there with those guys, it means a lot. To be at the top of something in this league is always great."
Green has never averaged more than 7.5 assists per game in a single NBA season. His previous career-high 7.4 assists per game ranked seventh in 2015-16, and Green's 7.3 assists per game in 2017-18 were also seventh.
Golden State Warriors
Although Green is a more prolific passer than ever before, this isn't exactly unfamiliar company for the three-time All-Star. He continues to believe he belongs in the same conversation as his elite peers.
"There's such great players in this league, so it definitely means something," Green continued. "But now in saying that, I think I can pass with those guys. I've always felt like that. I think my passing is one of the best things I bring to the game. I believe in my passing for sure."
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Green's 13-assist effort Sunday was his 20th game with double-digit dimes this season, exceeding his previous career high in '15-16 and matched again the following season. That's tied with Baron Davis ('06-07) for the 16th-most by a Warrior in a single season since 1983.
If you only include wings, forwards and centers, Green is in a class of his own. His 20 games with 10-plus assists are a single-season record for a Warriors forward, and his 88 such games are more than double the next-closest Warrior on the franchise's all-time list (Rick Barry, 43), according to Basketball-Reference.
In other words, Green's in great company amid his peers and his predecessors. No wonder he believes so much in his own skills.