The Warriors are a better team when Draymond Green looks to score. It's a fact the coaches, players, and even Green himself knows.
Green's performance Sunday night in the Warriors' win over the Kings was the perfect example of what the forward can do on offense, and how that helps the Warriors.
Against the Kings, Green scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range. That one three he made was shot with pure conviction. His feet were set underneath him, and the shot was smooth. It was a stark contrast from last season when Green didn't look sure if he should be shooting or passing.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
That being said, Steve Kerr and the coaching staff weren't putting pressure on Green to be a scoring threat then. This season, that message has changed.
During training camp, Kerr said he wants Green to attempt one to two three-pointers per game, and be aggressive when it comes to scoring. He attempted eight shots from distance during the preseason and made eight of them, and shot 45.5 percent overall from the field.
“He’s such a smart player,” Kerr said during the preseason. “I just like when he’s aggressive. I like when he’s trying to score, whether it’s an open 3 or putting the ball on the floor, trying to get to the rim. When he scores, we tend to be a better team, so I want him aggressive.”
Even Green said that when a shot is there for him, he wants to take it. And that's what happened in Sacramento.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Green attempted 12 field goals Sunday. Last season, he put up 10 or more shots in just one of his first 32 games, and only five times in the 63 regular-season games he played. He has scored at least 10 points in two of the Warriors' three games this year, compared to the three times he did it in his first 27 games last year.
What was even more encouraging about Green's performance against the Kings was that he wasn't just settling for outside shots. Play after play, he made the right decision to either shoot the ball -- as seen in his made three-pointer -- or use his size to battle inside.
RELATED: Lee's hot start among intriguing Warriors trends
Again, last season, Green wasn't moving with this level of decisiveness on offense. And it's exactly what the Warriors need from him.
In the 38 games Green has scored 20 or more points in his career, the Warriors have only lost five times. When he gets up to 25 points, Golden State is 5-0.
Now, the Warriors shouldn't expect Green to touch those numbers, and with the added depth they have on the bench they no longer need him to. But, if he can pose threat on the offensive end, it should have a similar effect. Opposing defenses will have to honor him, whether he is taking open shots or aggressively attacking the hoop.
As the Warriors emphasize floor spacing and ball movement, which is highly obtainable due to the number of scoring threats they now have, Green is going to find himself more and more open, and have greater opportunities to score.
He must continue to take advantage of it as he did Sunday in Sacramento.