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Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green underrated in power-forward rankings

By Peter O'Keefe

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 13: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during a game at Fiserv Forum on December 13, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bucks defeated the Warriors 128-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 13: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during a game at Fiserv Forum on December 13, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bucks defeated the Warriors 128-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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By his own admission, this season is one of the biggest years in Draymond Green’s storied career. After signing a new four-year, $100 million contract with the Golden State Warriors, the 33-year-old will be motivated to help push his team back to the apex of the NBA.

Green’s career at the franchise was in jeopardy following his altercation with Jordan Poole in training camp last year, but he responded with an impressive season where he was arguably Golden State’s second-best player.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been underrated in HoopsHype’s recent power-forward rankings.

Following a year where he was plagued by a back injury and limited to just 46 games in 2021-22, Green showed few signs of slowing down last season in averaging 31.5 minutes across 73 regular season appearances.

Despite his strong form in 2022-23, HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina expects a slight decline for Green in a season where he’s expected to fall outside the league’s top 10 power-forwards. Undertaking his rankings for the position, Urbina had the former Defensive Player of the Year as the 14th-best in the NBA.

"“Green may be frustrating to watch at times, particularly if you’re not rooting for the Warriors but overall, he remains one of the best two-way power forwards in the league and we expect a similar impact from him in 2023-24”, Urbina wrote."

Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors reacts in the face of Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers during a game at Chase Center on November 11, 2022. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors reacts in the face of Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers during a game at Chase Center on November 11, 2022. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Having Green at 14th initially seems a little low, particularly after a strong season where he entered as the eighth-best power-forward on the corresponding rankings 12 months ago. Green’s 8.5 points per game were the highest of his last five years, while his 52.7% shooting from the field was a career-high.

Immediately above Green was Kyle Kuzma, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Kristaps Porzingis and Evan Mobley. You could make the argument for the four-time All-Star over any of those five, particularly Kuzma whose career-high numbers may have been inflated by his stature in a poor Washington Wizards team.

Unsurprisingly, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was at the top of the list, with the two-time MVP sitting above Anthony Davis and Pascal Siakam. Zion Williamson and Karl-Anthony Towns rounded out the top five.

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Evaluating Green’s game in comparison to others is a hard task given, as Urbina identified, his game is so unique. There’s also the common-held question among rival fans of how much Green is a beneficiary of the Warrior system, though his resumé at this point should debunk any such theory.

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