Ogden’s Opus: Draymond Green, NBA’s Small Ball Revolution

Small ball has captivated the NBA, but what does that really mean? More importantly, how has it happened?

A common theme in Ogden’s Opus is acknowledging how the NBA continuously evolves. Not everything that happens can be traced back to one precise moment in time, but the cyclical growth often finds influence in previous eras.

If there’s one concept that can be regarded as contemporary, it’s small ball.

You could make a case that previous decades featured small-ball rotations, but not quite like it is today. The current trend was born in the modern era, with teams fully embracing the value of the positionally ambiguous forward.

As of the 2015 NBA Finals, the unorthodox approach has officially taken over.

There are many definitions of the phrase, “Small ball,” but it generally refers to a team that plays a five-man lineup that defies conventional standards. Rather than having a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center, coaches opt for a, “Smaller,” approach.

Generally speaking, the small forward shifts to power forward. In some cases, the power forward takes over at center, thus creating two offensively exploitable matchups down low.

More times than not, this approach helps teams create space and pull interior defenders away from the rim to defend more athletic and rangy scorers than their power forward counterparts would normally be.

In the past, this unorthodox approach created a positional mismatch on the offensive end of the floor. Power forwards would be overwhelmed by an athletic disadvantage while attempting to defend a small forward with range, and centers would have trouble against floor-spacing power forwards.

In 2014-15, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors changed the game.

The Appeal: Offense

As previously alluded to, small ball was a system first embraced by teams hoping to improve the flow of their offense. This change enabled a faster pace, as a shift that included either three guards or two small forwards would not only space the floor, but increase transition scoring opportunities.

It may be what we’re accustomed to today, but power forwards weren’t always as explosive and fluid as Blake Griffin or Anthony Davis.

The teams that revolutionized the approach were Mike D’Antoni‘s Phoenix Suns. From 2003-04 to 2007-08, D’Antoni pioneered an offense that not only dominated the NBA, but revolutionized it.

During an era dominated by defense, Phoenix ranked No. 1 in offensive efficiency in every season from 2004-05 to 2009-10—evidence that D’Antoni’s influence was felt well after his departure.

Led by two-time MVP point guard Steve Nash and five-time All-NBA big man Amar’e Stoudemire, the Suns’ offense was unstoppable. Stoudemire’s interchangeability from power forward to center enabled D’Antoni to place proverbial swiss army knife Shawn Marion at the 4.

With 3-and-D specialist Raja Bell, rising star Joe Johnson, and super-sub Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix found a way to maintain a lineup worth fearing.

Other players were key factors, including the incomparably versatile Boris Diaw and floor-spacer Quentin Richardson. Regardless of who was on the floor, D’Antoni was focused on two things: spacing the floor and pushing the pace.

Unfortunately, Phoenix never reached the NBA Finals. It also never ranked better than No. 16 in defensive efficiency.

The Hurdle: Defense

Traditionally, small ball teams are elite offensively and lackluster on the opposite end. For as much of a mismatch as said approach may have created in their advantage, there was an identically detrimental gap on defense.

A 3 playing the 4 may have been able to beat a traditional power forward offensively, but he’d often find himself physically overwhelmed along the defensive interior.

There have been teams that rated well defensively while employing small-ball tactics—the Big 3 era Miami Heat come to mind—but even those teams had trouble against back-to-the-basket threats. Dirk Nowitzki dominated the mid and high posts during the 2011 NBA Finals, and Roy Hibbert routinely gave Miami fits.

Trace it back to the D’Antoni Phoenix Suns and you’ll see a team that was an improvement on defense away from a championship. Thus, the critics of this unorthodox approach now had ammunition to fight the contemporary movement.

“You can’t win with small ball because you need a traditional lineup to play elite defense.” Or not.

The Solution: Defense

The Phoenix Suns came up short, the Miami Heat were a superstar-studded anomaly, and the San Antonio Spurs crushed many small ball dreams—all the while occasionally employing small ball tendencies. This all added up to the Golden State Warriors needing to make a bold move.

That all started when the Warriors drafted Draymond Green at No. 35 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Rather than surrounding Stephen Curry—for all intents and purposes, the Steve Nash of this equation—with offense, the Warriors have given him a cast of elite defensive players. Said players are and were lethal offensively, but their primary appeal is on the other end.

That’s been the key to Golden State evolving from a gimmicky team that makes 3s to the winningest squad in the NBA.

Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston were regarded as defensive nightmares long before they arrived at Oracle. The same could be said for Andrew Bogut, who has been an invaluable influence as a rim protector since the Warriors controversially traded fan favorite Monta Ellis.

With an elite cast of perimeter defenders, including Green, Iguodala, Livingston, and Klay Thompson, the Warriors contain the 3-point shot and prevent penetration. With a bruising group of interior defenders, including Bogut, Festus Ezeli and Green, Golden State sends intimidating messages to all who manage to break through.

In other words, Golden State has revolutionized the small-ball revolution by doing what almost every champion in NBA history has done: committed to elite defense.

The Pioneer: Draymond Green

In 2014-15, the Golden State Warriors were No. 1 in both defensive efficiency—in other words, they allowed the least points per 100 possessions—and opponent field goal percentage. An electoral college type system helped Kawhi Leonard win the award, but Green was No. 1 in first place votes for Defensive Player of the Year.

Given how brilliant he and the Warriors’ defense has been in 2015-16, it’s time to stop talking about Green as though he’s just another piece to the puzzle; he is the puzzle.

In 2015-16, the Warriors rank No. 2 in opponent field goal percentage and No. 3 in defensive efficiency. At the heart of that success is none other than the man who had more first place votes for Defensive Player of the Year than anyone in the NBA in 2014-15—and yes, that point needs to be driven home.

Green, who defends positions 1-to-5, is limiting opponents to 38.6 percent shooting from the field when he’s the primary defender—a drop-off of 6.6 percent from their average field goal percentage.

On both ends of the floor, Green is doing everything. No, really—everything.

He’s No. 1 in the NBA in triple-doubles, and No. 1 on his team—a 33-2 team with MVP point guard Stephen Curry—in assists per game. Further along the statistical front, Green leads the Warriors in rebounding, and is Top 3 on the roster in offensive rebounds, blocks, steals, and 3-point field goals made per game.

He works the low and high posts, brings the ball up, defends all five positions, and gets touches in clutch situations. He’s shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, is the Warriors’ physical enforcer, and is a vocal leader in the locker room.

Draymond Green isn’t just a star of the small ball revolution; he’s a pioneer who has made it possible for this once gimmicky system to win at the highest possible level.

More hoops habit: Is the next Draymond Green eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft?

Not bad for a second-round draft pick.

Stat of the Week: The Art of the Triple-Double

In a—hopefully—seamless segue, Draymond Green is having one of the most statistically prolific seasons in recent NBA history. Not only is he anchoring the Golden State Warriors’ elite defense, but he’s thriving in a way unseen since almost 20 years ago.

On Monday, January 4, Green became the second Warriors player in franchise history to record three consecutive triple-doubles.

For what it’s worth, Tom Gola is a Hall of Famer.

Related Story: Where do Draymond Green's triple-doubles rate amongst the most shocking statistics in the NBA?

For the season, Green has seven triple-doubles—the most in the NBA. According to Basketball-Reference.com, no forward has recorded more triple-doubles in a single season since Grant Hill had 13 in 1996-97.

Green has seven in just 35 games, which is a pace that equates to 16 in a full 82-game season.

Under the Radar: Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks shocked the masses when they handed shooting guard Khris Middleton a five-year contract worth $70 million. Middleton has been a very solid player in Milwaukee, but many believed that his play didn’t warrant the price tag.

After a relatively underwhelming November, Middleton has been a revelation in December and early January.

Between December and January, Middleton is averaging 18.7 points and 4.4 assists per game. He’s scored at least 20 points in six of his past nine appearances, including back-to-back 30-point eruptions against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, respectively.

With more months like December and early January, Middleton will silence his critics and justify Milwaukee’s $70 million investment.

NBA Draft Stud: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma Sooners

Thus far in 2015-16, very few college basketball players have been as exceptional Buddy Hield. He’s led the overachieving Oklahoma Sooners to a 12-1 record, with the only loss coming in triple overtime at the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks.

During that game, Hield made history.

Prior to that game, Hield was No. 24 on my list of prospects.

Hield’s 46-point eruption may have earned him national recognition, but he’s been progressively improving his draft stock since 2014-15. He worked his way to being an early second-round prospect in 2015, and has Round 1 potential in 2016.

A high-character player with an athletic 6’5″ and 215-pound frame, Hield is as legitimate an NBA Draft prospect as any shooting guard in the country.

Team to Watch: Los Angeles Clippers

For the better part of the 2015-16 NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Clippers have been the laughing stocks of the Western Conference. The Houston Rockets have been worse, but the Clippers’ wild inconsistency follows a controversial summer and comes with a star-studded rotation.

Don’t look now, but Los Angeles is looking like a contender.

The Clippers have won six consecutive games, and are 15-5 over the course of their past 20 outings. That’s a massive improvement from a 7-8 start, and it could be a sign of things to come.

More hoops habit: Could the Los Angeles Clippers get Darren Collison back as their backup point guard?

With Chris Paul coming into his own, J.J. Redick is averaging 18.1 points on 51.3 percent shooting over his past 10 appearances, and the Clippers are flowing on both ends of the floor. The second unit is developing, as well, with players such as Jamal Crawford, Paul Pierce, and Austin Rivers taking turns as featured contributors.

Most impressively, this has all happened with Blake Griffin missing five consecutive games.