Should Draymond Green Have Won Defensive Player of the Year?

Draymond Green finished as the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. Should he have won?

For the second year in a row, the Defensive Player of the Year award was given to the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard. For the second year in a row, Draymond Green finished as the runner-up.

When we talk about these two players, it’s 1 and 1A. These guys are about ten steps ahead of everyone else, sometimes even literally. These two guys anchor two of the league’s best defenses, taking over games on the defensive end at will. They will take the other team’s best player and completely neutralize them.

When you have two players like this, it’s hard to really determine who’s better or more deserving of an award. One guy is a legitimate fear-inducing freak of nature and the other is a revolutionary game-changing beast.

Green has been slightly better in more opportunities.

This stat shows that, when challenged individually, Green has produced slightly more than Leonard. For whatever reason, offensive players try to attack the Warriors’ All-Star quite a bit. It could be, perhaps, because of the narratives and perceived matchup advantage that the offensive player thinks he has over Green. When he slides to the center spot, bigger players try to post him up. When he switches out onto smaller guards, they try to use their quickness.

Neither are successful.

Per ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus, Green’s defensive real plus-minus is fourth in the league at 4.51. Leonard was right behind him with a DRPM of 4.29, good for fifth best in the NBA. Again, these two are very close, but this time Green has the edge. Basketball Reference gave Leonard the nod in Defensive Rating, finishing with an incredible DRtg of 94. Green was behind him with a very good 100 DRtg.

These guys were both amazing this past season. Draymond didn’t lose this award, Kawhi just won it.

Defense is more than just defending isolations. It’s about elevating your team by being an anchor for the defense. Statistically, there’s no contest here. The Spurs were a better defensive team than the Warriors over the course of the regular season. San Antonio had one of the best defensive campaigns of all-time, finishing with a defensive efficiency of 96.6 compared to Golden State’s 100.9. It makes sense that the best defensive player on the best defensive team wins the award.

When both of these guys get taken out of the game, their team’s defense (naturally) falters.It’s interesting to note that the Spurs’ defense struggles less with Leonard on the bench than the Warriors’ defense does when Green takes a rest, per Basketball Reference.

With Leonard off the floor, the Spurs’ opponent’s ORtg increases from 97.2 t0 101.8, a difference of -4.6 for San Antonio.

With Green off the floor, the Warriors’ opponent’s ORtg increases from 100.5 to 112.3, a difference of -11.8 for Golden State.

These two players are some of the most versatile the league has ever seen. Green has changed what it means to play small-ball, guarding and locking down whoever is put in front of him. Leonard uses his otherworldly abilities to guard point guards through forwards effortlessly.

Kawhi Leonard sure deserved the award. So did Draymond Green. Unfortunately there’s just one award for two stars. It is my personal belief that Green should have been honored with the award last season. This year was much closer, despite the final tally.

For Warriors fans, this one might hurt. Green has put out incredible performances every night for the greatest team of all-time. While Stephen Curry is a lock for the MVP, a DPOY would have surely made this season even more perfect.

These guys were both amazing this past season. Draymond didn’t lose this award, Kawhi just won it.

This is also a blessing for Golden State. The only thing scarier than Draymond Green is an angry and wrong Draymond Green. It’s safe to say that he’s going to come out with a little more fire and energy in an effort to carry this team to another championship.

In case that doesn’t make any Warriors fan reading this feel any better, here’s a Vine you should enjoy.

Let’s hope these two face off in the Western Conference Finals so we can see two artists go to work.