Green’s Defensive Declaration: Draymond Green’s Audacious Claim That He Can Win Defensive Player of the Year Signals a Resurgence, Promising to Unleash a Defensive Masterclass Upon the NBA
Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green thinks he can win the Defensive Player of the Year Award this season.
The Golden State Warriors veteran won the award in 2017.
“Obviously, if we keep winning and close this year out strong, most definitely,” Green said after the Warriors beat the Milwaukee Bucks, via ESPN. “I look around the league and don’t see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do. I don’t see many players completely throwing off an entire team’s offense the way I do. One thousand percent.
“Especially with Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] going down, seemed like he had it won. And now it is right there. So 1 million percent I have a case, and I will continue to build that case for these next 13 games. Tonight was a prime example of that.”
The Warriors are seventh in the NBA in points per game allowed and defensive rating.
Green leads Golden State in steals per game and blocks per game.
“You got some people that have a vote on the East Coast that probably see us play four times a year,” Green said. “And if you look at the stats, you be like, ‘Oh, Draymond averages one steal and a block.’ Those numbers don’t jump off the page at you. But you watch me play and then ask the opposing coach what did I do to [their] offense? It’s a different story. This award is widely based off statistics, and those statistics don’t always tell the story. … But I want another one, and I ain’t retired yet. I still got a chance.”
Green is averaging 9.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks this season while shooting 43.2% from the field, 32.6% from beyond the arc and 67.7% from the free-throw line.
The four-time All-Star has a defensive rating of 108.5.
The Warriors are 40-29. They are in sixth place in the Western Conference standings.
