Andrew Bogut or Draymond Green? Which GS Warrior Is More Important Defensively?
Over the last two or three seasons we’ve come to expect the Golden State Warriors to own one of the best offenses—if not the best—in the NBA. But what’s made them so great this year compared to last is their increased effort on the defensive end of the court.
That’s not to say that they were bad in that area in then-head coach Mark Jackson’s final season in the Bay Area. Rather, it’s more of a nod to the excellent work Steve Kerr has done to make his team even better at locking down opponents’ offensive attacks.
Allowing just 97.6 points per 100 possessions to this point in the season, credit can be spread throughout most of the Warriors’ major rotation players. But, at the same time, it’s hard to overlook the massive impact that both Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut have on this defense.
Through 67 and 52 games, respectively, Green and Bogut are currently holding their opponents to just 95.4 and 94.2 points per 100 possessions, with Green’s rating ranking first among all qualified players this year.
Given how close their numbers are, it’s hard to definitively say which player is more important to Golden State’s cause. After all, they play two different positions and serve in very different roles. While Green is asked to essentially cover any and every position on the floor game after game, Bogut spends most of his time patrolling the paint and getting into passing lanes.
With that said, determining which of the two is more valuable defensively ultimately comes down to each's effectiveness and fit in Kerr’s defensive system.
Typically, teams around the Association ask their players to fight over or under screens. Simultaneously, the man who is assigned to the screener is asked to hedge to slow down the ball-handler, which allows the player being screened to recover before his assignment can make a play. Kerr, on the other hand, insists that his players switch on every pick-and-roll.
Knowing how effective that system has been all season long, it’s not uncommon to wonder why more teams don’t try to implement this system into their own defensive schemes. However, the answer is simple—they just don’t have the personnel to do so.
You’ll notice that the majority of the players on Golden State’s roster are between 6’4" and 6’8", with the exception of Stephen Curry and the Warriors’ other smaller guards. That height advantage allows the Dubs to effectively switch assignments without getting caught up in matchup mismatches. ESPN.com’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss explains further:
"For the Warriors, positions mean so little on defense because they've built a roster comprised of guys the same size.
The players and coaches call it "versatility," a common set of qualities that allows the team to constantly switch on and off the ball.
With Iguodala, Livingston, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes and Justin Holiday, Golden State has a half-dozen long, defensively talented players who stand between 6'6" and 6'8". That height range is perfect for navigating between marking little guys and grappling with big men. For example, Green typically guards power forwards, but he can stop Chris Paul in a pinch.
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At 6’7” and sneaky quick, Green is more suited to thrive in Kerr’s system, whereas the 7’0” Bogut is mostly regulated to checking opposing power forwards and centers closer to the basket.
Of course, part of Green’s job—in addition to everyone else—is to help force ball-handlers into the lane towards Bogut where they will be either deterred at the rim or forced to kick the ball out elsewhere, risking an interception by a lurking Warriors defender. But despite the great work Bogut does in those situations, none of it is possible without Green first properly executing his responsibilities.
Green’s ability to guard all five positions is invaluable. He can help guards with tough assignments on one possession and then come back on the next one and provide resistance and shot-blocking down low.
Here he is switching onto Chris Paul:
And here he is lurking down low and ultimately swatting Dirk Nowitzki’s shot attempt:
This kind of versatility cannot be understated and, although Bogut remains one of the best defensive big men in the Association, Green is much more flexible and successful in checking every style of player teams throw at him night in and night out.
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
Tim MacLean is a Featured Columnist for the Golden State Warriors here at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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