There’s no denying Draymond Green’s offensive production is on a downward trend. He has played in 17 of the Warriors’ 21 games, averaging 4.6 points while shooting 33.3 percent from the field, which would be his lowest such marks since his rookie year in 2012-13.
Fourteen-year NBA vet Kendrick Perkins, who currently is an analyst for ESPN and NBC Sports Boston, shared his thoughts on Green’s offensive decline with Grant Liffmann on the latest episode of “Dubs Talk.”
“I want to see that Draymond, like, that Draymond back then when he would erupt for a 20-point game, even a 30-point game," Perkins said. "Right now, I understand him making winning plays, but it’s time for us to see that 20-point game.”
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Green has scored double-digit points just twice this season, topping out at 10 points both times. He fell one rebound shy of a triple-double against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 10, with 10 points, 10 assists and nine boards in his only double-double of the year.
Green also joked about his slowing athleticism recently, taking pride in a one-footed slam dunk against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Green’s intensity and quarterbacking on defense don’t show up in the box score but are probably his most valuable assets to the team at this point. He’s something of a player-coach and maintained his ability to be a facilitator on offense, ranking 12th in the league with 6.6 assists per game.
But Perkins said he expected Green to produce more points.
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“I knew Steph [Curry] was going to come back on an MVP-type of mission, which he is,” Perkins said. “And I thought Draymond was going to come back to have really something to prove after kind of having a down year last year, statistically-wise. I thought Draymond, with Klay being out, would be able to give you at least 15 or 16 points a night. Some of these games, Steph’s not going to be able to score 50 or 60 every single game.”
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Perkins was hyperbolic when talking about Steph scoring 50-plus points a game. Green’s career-best scoring average came during the 2015-16 season when he averaged 14 points per game on 49 percent shooting, so perhaps 15 points per night from him is a bit outlandish as well. But there’s a point to what Perkins is implying.
Perkins knows Green’s game isn’t centered around scoring. But if Green can pick up his offense to support Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr., it would add another dimension to the Warriors offense.
“I give Draymond his props,” Perkins said. “People don’t understand him as a player. I understand what he brings to the table, as far as making winning plays that don’t show up in the stat sheet.”
Without rookie James Wiseman for the next few games, Green should have more opportunities to contribute in the paint.