Draymond Green deserved every bit to make the West All-Star team
By Derek Tahara
Here’s why Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green deserved to be an All-Star this year
Yes, Draymond Green is a fiery and intense guy. But it does not mean that he should not be left off the All-Star team for the intensity he brings every possession to the Golden State Warriors.
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People on #NBATwitter think it’s fine to undermine the value of a guy, who sometimes has a hard time of finding the line and knowing when not to cross it, but Warriors fans know that his value is just as great as two-time MVP Stephen Curry’s value.
Green might be the most significant piece to the puzzle for the Warriors. He is the jack-of-all-trades with his willingness to pass the ball and put his teammates in position to succeed. On defense this year, he has been on another level with late-game defensive heroics against Milwaukee, Atlanta and the Pelicans.
He has expressed no desire to win any individual awards except the Defensive Player of the Year, which he has finished second in for the past two years to Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs rising superstar.
Let’s take a look at Green’s stats this year.
He is currently averaging 10.7 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, 7.5 assists per game, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks.
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Although, these are not eye-popping numbers, make no mistake of Green’s all-star status. He does a significant amount of the playmaking for the Warriors, especially when Curry gets double teamed near half court and Green is the “escape valve” and decision-maker and on the defensive end, he’s a monster.
Just check out the two plays he helped make to win games with his defense, which CBS Sports highlighted all the way back in November.
Green defends both Schroder and Bazemore one-on-one on plays in the 4th quarter and stays with them step for step and with his long 7’3″ wingspan blocks the ball off them.
Boom.
Warriors ball.
People can say what they want about Green, “Kicker. System player. Overrated.” Warriors fans and people in the basketball world will now know him as: Western Conference All-Star.