Draymond Green probably didn't intend to change the NBA at large when he gave props to San Antonio Spurs' superstar Victor Wembanyama last week, but he may have.
"I hated it... And I absolutely loved it," Green said last week about Wembanyama's confidence that he should be leading the MVP race. That hate came from the fact that Wembanyama had to make the case for himself despite a staggeringly effective defensive output this season, and the love was from Wemby being willing to make that case.
While Wembanyama was already entering the mix for MVP before Draymond gave the 22 year-old his flowers, we are starting to see a shift in how fans and voters view the MVP award — and I do think Draymond's words hold some weight in that shift.
"Wemby said, 'Defense is 50% of the game,' and it was like, oh, no one realized that? No one realized that 50% of the game we play is on that end of the floor?"
Draymond Green may have changed how people vote for MVP
We all know how divisive Green can be both on the court and off of it. But this diatribe of his wasn't divisive. In fact, it was almost liberating for those who have always thought this way.
When one star speaks their mind as clearly and often as Wemby does, people listen. When another star backs up his words, people start to change their actions, and I think that's what we're seeing now. It's as though no one wanted to admit that we undervalue defense in award voting, but now that Wembanyama and Draymond both said it,
For the record, I don't think Victor Wembanyama is the MVP this year — and I don't think he will capture the award. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been historically good as a guard this season, and his 47-point masterpiece in response to Wemby's 41 & 15 game yesterday was a clear statement.
But Wemby at least has a real chance now, and I do think Draymond's slightly tongue-in-cheek remarks about the NBA world not valuing defense have played a part in that. Next season, Wemby will start the year as an MVP candidate, not just round into one as the year progresses. That change will come, in part, because a world has been opened up to award voters, who now likely feel they can value defensive impact as much as offensive greatness.