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Two of the Golden State Warriors best players will be out for tonight’s game. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will rest tonight’s preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers according to a tweet by Monte Poole.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr tells reporters in LA that Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will rest tonight vs. Lakers but are expected to play in the preseason finale vs. POR on Friday.
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) October 12, 2021
Curry has shown he is still among the NBA’s elite players, averaging 19 points in 20.3 minutes per game this preseason. His 3-point shooting has been a little off at 35.7% during these 3 games but expect that number to trend closer to his career 43.3% shooting from three once the regular season officially begins. In the previous game against the Lakers, Curry dropped a casual total of 30 points in 26 minutes on an off night shooting from deep. Curry’s greatness stems from his ability to impact the offense in a multitude of ways, so there is no reason to believe he will be slowing down in his upcoming 13th season in the NBA.
Meanwhile, Green has averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 17.9 minutes per game this preseason. While everyone knows the importance of Draymond to the team defensively, the hot topic for many Warriors fans is his impact on the offensive end. His chemistry and playmaking for Curry and others is obvious, but many people are hoping he becomes more aggressive scoring the ball too. According to an article by Kendra Andrews of NBCsports.com, head coach Steve Kerr has been pushing Draymond to shoot more threes this season.
Steve Kerr now: "I told Draymond I want him shooting 2 to 3 threes every game. If you're open, let it fly ... I like when he's aggressive. I like when he's trying to score."
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 11, 2021
In my latest Burning Question, I examine the impact Green can have on offense: https://t.co/BstNAg5bSN
In the 3 preseason games, Green is 3-6 from the 3-point line. The Warriors as a team are leading the league in 3-point attempts this preseason with an average of 57 attempts per game. Draymond should find himself with plenty of scoring opportunities this season. Even if he isn’t efficient, the threat of being an aggressive scorer will force the opposing defenses to react to him. This should open things up for the rest of the offense and allow him to do what he does best and act as a playmaker for the team’s scorers.
Steph and Draymond are essential to the Warriors this season. The rest for two of Golden State’s star players is well deserved as they prepare for their real matchup against the Lakers on opening night next Tuesday.
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