As the Golden State Warriors have rocketed into the fifth-seed in the Western Conference on the tail of Stephen Curry's recent monster performance against the Memphis Grizzlies, one storyline has temporarily taken its place on the back-burner amid the team's fortunes.
Draymond Green, the Warriors' veteran forward and defensive quarterback, has had another stellar year on the defensive end of the floor, continuing to guard all five positions effectively and make a difference night in and night out for the team despite his advanced age.
With the addition of Jimmy Butler to Golden State, the team has continued to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, coalescing the intensity and intelligence of Butler and Green into a beast of a defensive unit that has propelled them into contention for another title.
Now, as Green looks to add to his long NBA resumé with another major award, his chances will hinge on his ability to stay on the court through the Warriors' final seven games of the season.
Draymond Green still needs four games to be eligible for DPOY
While for much of the season the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award seemed to be locked up by Victor Wembanyama -- the San Antonio Spurs' French phenom who was averaging 3.8 blocks and 1.1 steals per game -- a season-ending blood clot in the young big man's shoulder drastically re-opened the field for the award.
Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks -- who is averaging an absurd 3.1 steals per game -- has a case for the award. So too do Evan Mobley and Luguentz Dort of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder respectively, having both anchored top defensive units in the league throughout the course of the season.
However, Green, who averages 1.5 steals and one block per game, is currently the odds-on favorite to win the award, having been the Warriors' primary and best defender for much of the season.
While Green has made eight all-defensive teams, he has only won the DPOY once in the 2016-17 season. This could work in his favor, with the idea that the 35-year-old has been underappreciated by voters throughout his career.
However, in order to be eligible for the award, Green must play in the league-mandated 65 games -- a feat that, at this point, is not a given. Having sat out on various occasions, including the second half of many back-to-backs this season, Green has only played in 61 of Golden State's 75 games, leaving him four shy of the mark he needs to achieve.
While it is likely that Green will play in all of the teams' remaining games barring injury -- including Friday's crucial game against the Denver Nuggets which will be the second night of a back-to-back -- the fiery forward also has 12 technical fouls on the season.
Were he to reach 16 -- a feat which only a player like Green could accomplish in such a short span of games -- he would need to serve a mandatory one-game suspension handed down from the league which could prove a factor in preventing him from being eligible for major awards.
At this pivotal point in their season, the Warriors need Green healthy, particularly given it's clear he'll be motivated to stay on the court for reasons beyond just playoff seeding.