Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green Has Finals MVP Potential
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors has the potential to be the 2017 NBA Finals MVP.
Draymond Green is one of the most polarizing players — quite possibly THE most polarizing player — in the world of professional basketball today.
On one end, you have fans and analysts that absolutely HATE the 6-foot-7 point forward, citing multiple incidents that many consider unbecoming of a high-level NBA talent both on and off the court.
On the other end are fans who absolutely LOVE Green for his grittiness, his tenacity, his edge, and overall vibe. While his style of play and personality may come off as being uncommon, unorthodox, or even thuggish or unnatural at times, it’s clear there’s numerous people who can appreciate just how real the 27-year-old can be.
And real recognize real.
But whether you love him or you hate him, there’s two undeniable truths regarding Draymond Green:
- He’s a top-tier, two-way NBA player.
- The Golden State Warriors absolutely NEED him in order to continue being a dominant force in the league.
When you factor in how 2017 is a sort of “redemption” year for both Green and his returning teammates, then you come to one crazy (but undeniably reasonable) conclusion:
Draymond Green has the potential to be named the 2017 NBA Finals MVP.
Disclaimer: no matter how incredibly likely it may be, in no way am I guaranteeing the Warriors even make it to the 2017 NBA Finals, let alone eventually end up defeating the Washington Wizards or Boston Celtics in five games (knock on wood!).
Rather, all I’m saying is that Green has CLEARLY been the best player on the Warriors thus far in the postseason, and should he continue playing at such a high level on both ends of the court, it’s difficult to see anyone else on the team really earning more brownie points than he has already.
Through seven games this postseason, Draymond Green is a +14.7, which ranks third among all postseason players this year. He’s currently averaging 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.0 blocks in 35.5 minutes per game, shooting 50.8 percent from the field and a career-high 50.0 percent from behind the arc (career-high 5.1 3PA).
Bob Lanier of the 1975 Detroit Pistons is the only player EVER to average at least 14 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three blocks — yet he did so playing 42.7 minutes per game. Add in the fact that Green is averaging two cookies a game, and you find a player that’s in a complete league of his own.
Don’t get me wrong: Stephen Curry is — and likely will always be — the engine of this team.
Furthermore, Kevin Durant is highly regarded as one of the best players in the world, and Klay Thompson is a respectable two-way player in his own right. Each has proved themselves to be irreplaceable pieces in the complex monster that is Golden State.
Many refer to Green as the “heartbeat” of this team, but after reminiscing about the We Believe era and further studying of the RUN TMC era, I came to the realization that Green is truly the KEY to the success of this team.
Green is Nellie ball’s missing piece: a tough, gritty enforcer capable of running the floor, distributing the ball, shooting threes, and defending every position. It’s due to Green’s versatility — namely, his ability to guard each position at a relatively high level — that the team is able to play small ball so effectively and efficiently.
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So let’s be real: the regular season MVP stole the MVP based on the versatility of his stats — or rather, how many triple-doubles he recorded.
If HE can be named the league’s MVP despite playing little-to-no defense while only leading his team the sixth seed and an eventual first round exit, then Draymond Green is more than qualified to be a Finals MVP consideration.