What if Draymond Green keeps making threes?

A world of possibilities!

The Golden State Warriors depend on Draymond Green for three things: all-world defense, excellent playmaking, and emotional leadership. Everything else? Just cherries on top of the sundae (and, well .... whatever the negative version of cherries on top of a sundae is. Moldy cherries?).

But something very interesting quietly happened last season: Green was a marksman from deep. Dray shot 39.5% on threes last season, which was second on the team (I probably don’t need to tell you who was first). He wasn’t exactly pouring in a high volume of shots — his 2.3 attempts per game pales in comparison to the 11.8 that Steph Curry hoisted, or the 9.0 that Klay Thompson put up — but it’s not an insignificant number, either.

Green’s never going to be a big weapon from deep, no matter the percentage. He needs to have his feet set, and his slow mechanics and low release point mean that he needs to be fairly wide open in order to get a shot off. So don’t expect him to start flying around screens and letting it rip.

But what if he can keep up this production? What if his shot is reworked enough that he can flirt with that 40% mark, shooting two-to-four triples a night? Here are a few ways that it could positively impact a Warriors offense that is likely already going to be slightly revamped thanks to the addition of Terry Stotts to the coaching staff.

More traditional lineups

While the Warriors once found endless success starting a frontcourt of Green and Kevon Looney, those traditional lineups have faltered in recent years, in part due to the loss of Kevin Durant and the decline of Andrew Wiggins. There simply hasn’t been enough spacing with those lineups, and for a while the Warriors combated it by moving Green to the five, and playing a smaller lineup.

The emergence of Trayce Jackson-Davis changed that. The Dubs can’t afford to not start TJD, and it goes without saying that they can’t afford to not start Green, either. But if they’re not getting much shooting from Dray and whoever starts at small forward, it’s hard to envision those lineups finding much success, especially now that Thompson is gone, damaging the potency of the backcourt shooting.

Green being a weapon from beyond the arc certainly makes it easier to play centers who can’t stretch the floor. But speaking of centers who stretch the floor...

Five out

For the second year in a row, the Warriors targeted an older center with their second-round pick in the draft, opting for both size and experience. This time it was Quinten Post, a 24-year old seven-footer with a buttery jump shot.

If Post proves as NBA-ready as Jackson-Davis was in his rookie year, it could help transform the offense thanks to his pick-and-pop capabilities. And if Green can also knock them down reliably? Well suddenly the Warriors can play a five-out offense while still having traditional size on defense.

That’s what a coach’s dreams are made of.

More flexibility with Curry

We all enjoy watching Green serve as a release valve for Curry, and running the pick-and-roll with his superstar teammate, barreling down the lane like a fullback to lead a four-on-three. But if he’s shooting better, Green can start to integrate more pick-and-pops into his actions with Steph, keeping the defense even more on its toes.

More options is always a good thing. But that’s doubly true when Curry is involved.

Less pressure on Jonathan Kuminga

Kuminga is primed for a huge fourth season, but one big concern looks large: where does he play? He’s way too talented to be a bench player suiting up for only 20 minutes a night — he needs to be a core part of the team.

But it’s hard to have him supplant Wiggins as the starting three if he’s not a weapon from deep. And the only way he can play his natural position — the four — is if the Warriors move Green to the five. Something tells me Steve Kerr doesn’t want to wear out Dray like that, or move Jackson-Davis to the bench.

The ideal solution in this department is for Kuminga — who shot 32.1% from deep last year — to develop a more reliable jump shot. But in the absence of that (or preferably in addition to it), Green proving offense from beyond the arc eases the pressure on Kuminga, and allows Kerr more flexibility in creating lineups.

Green may never be able to escape the backpack memes, but another season of improvement from distance is within reach. And it sure could make a huge difference.