- Draymond Green’s defense has been a big reason for the Warriors’ success
- GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. believes he is still probably the best player-defender in the league
- Green made the All-Defensive Second Team last season
Draymond Green is hardly the most likable figure in the NBA, but there is no denying how impactful he has been on the court over the years. Green’s playmaking and exceptional defense, in particular, have been a big reason why the Golden State Warriors have won four championships in the last nine seasons.
Golden State rewarded the 33-year-old, who averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game last season, with a four-year, $100 million deal recently. They know just how valuable he is despite his age, and GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. believes Green is still probably the best player-defender in the league.
“Draymond is still an elite defender,” Dunleavy told The Athletic. “In my mind, he’s probably the best player-defender in the league, especially in the playoffs. On a nightly basis, he’s a top-five guy defensively and does so much for us offensively.”
While it is debatable whether Green is the best, he is still a very good defender. He earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2023 and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting as well.
The selection this year means Green has now made one of the All-Defensive teams eight times in the last nine seasons, which is quite an impressive feat. This is also the fifth time that Green has found himself in the top four in voting for DPOY, but he has only managed to win the award once, in 2017.
Steve Kerr Believes Draymond Green Is The Best Defender Ever
Green has caused his fair share of problems for the Warriors, but there is a good reason why they still want to keep him. They know better than anyone else just how important he is for them on the court.
Earlier this year, head coach Steve Kerr went as far as to say Green is the best defender he has ever seen, and he has seen many great ones. The man himself, of course, has also claimed he is the greatest defender in NBA history.
While the greatest might be a stretch, he is probably the most versatile one ever. You won’t find many players in the history of the league who can guard all five positions on the court as well as Draymond has done over the years. He is the reason why those “Death Lineups” worked so well for Golden State and deserves respect for that.
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