A player’s reputation can carry him a long way in the NBA. Draymond Green has established a reputation as a tough and versatile defensive maestro.
Draymond Green is the backbone behind the Golden State Warriors’ recent run success. He defends every position credibly while contributing everywhere on offense.
The Warriors second-round pick and worked his way up to become a star. Since the 2014-15 season, Green has been a staple on the NBA All-Defensive Teams.
He captured his first Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2016-17. Last season was a bit of an aberration for Green and the Warriors. For the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Warriors fell out of the top 10 in defensive rating.
Green himself ranked outside of the top five in defensive rating for the first time in three seasons and fell out of the top 10 in defensive win shares. To his credit, Green realized his slippage and said he wants to reclaim his spot among the top defenders in the NBA.
Draymond Green: “I was second-team all-defense. That’s crazy.... I don’t think any voter can tell me five defensive players better than me...I’ll wait.”
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) October 8, 2018
Despite the slight defensive decline, the Warriors still managed to win their second straight NBA Championship. The Warriors reclaimed their mojo during the playoffs and emerged as the top-rated defensive team.
Green also found his groove in the postseason, averaging nearly a triple-double while climbing into the top five in defensive win shares, a metric that estimates the number of wins a player contributes to his team through his defensive production.
The previous regular season was a slog for the Warriors. The steady dominance they displayed the season before was replaced by bouts of uneven play. Sure, injuries contributed to an inconsistent season, but so did the grind of another long run to a second straight title.
This upcoming campaign could very well mirror the previous quagmire with another championship journey insights.
However, the Warriors have proven that they can flip the proverbial switch when they need to. Green has also earned the benefit of the doubt with his stellar play in the postseason. He may not receive all of the appropriate accolades, but he is still one of the top defenders in the NBA.
Green could definitely approach the season with the Defensive Player of the Year Award in his sights, but the Warriors do not necessarily need that kind of a season from him to clinch a third straight NBA Championship.
The team knows that Green is a top-flight defender and should just trust his reputation of getting it done when it matters.