Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is one of the most accomplished names in modern basketball as a whole. He won five championships as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs before coaching the Golden State Warriors to four more titles. That’s nine rings and a career of being surrounded by greatness.
After Kerr recently proclaimed Draymond Green as the best defender he’s ever seen despite the incredible talent he’s played with, Kerr doubled down but also mentioned Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman alongside Draymond as the three greatest defenders of all time.
“The top two are Scottie Pippen and Draymond. What makes Draymond different than Scottie is that Dray is physically stronger and more capable of guarding low-post players. I’ll give Scottie a break because back then, the low-post guys were Shaq, Patrick Ewing, and Hakeem, it was a very different game.”
“What I see with Draymond when he’s guarding the post, it’s incredible when you add his ability to guard the pick-and-roll, all the way up to halfcourt. Dennis Rodman is a great comp for Draymond in that regard, and I definitely should have him in the conversation too.”
“Probably those three. Dennis, Scottie, and Draymond. You can see the parallels. The length, physicality, speed, versatility, but ultimately, it’s the brain. Dennis and Scottie were two of the smartest defenders I’ve ever been around and Draymond is amazing in that regard.”
Steve Kerr followed up on his comments about Draymond Green being “the best defender he’s ever seen.”
His top three all-time defenders are Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Green. pic.twitter.com/KuhwnK9Nzc
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 21, 2025
Pippen, Rodman, and Draymond are the three best defenders in Kerr’s eyes, and mind you, this is a player who also played alongside the likes of Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan. Duncan is arguably just as solid a frontcourt defender as the three names Kerr mentioned, if not better.
Pippen never won a Defensive Player of the Year award but his defensive prowess completed the Bulls. Pippen was the x-factor behind Michael Jordan’s greatness to facilitate the Bulls winning two different three-peats.
Rodman was not the same defender he was earlier in his career when he joined Kerr and the Bulls, but he was phenomenal nonetheless. One of the greatest rebounders in NBA history, Rodman became a defensive specialist primarily because he was a very rough offensive player but his defense made him ultra-valuable.
Finally, Draymond is the perfect modern big man. He can guard all five positions to a high degree and anchored a dynastic defense for over 10 years. Kerr has relied on Green so much defensively that it would be ridiculous for him to not give his own player these props. After all, Kerr called Draymond the best he had ever seen.
“He’s the best defender I’ve ever seen. I mean, you see the pick-and-roll with Dame. If he’s in it, he kind of does this fake blitz thing with his speed, with his anticipation. He forces Dame back out towards halfcourt and he’s able to get back. The speed and recovery with Draymond is just stunning.”
“Then the brain that goes with it,” said Kerr. “If he’s on the weak side, he’s constantly coming over to help. He’s one of the great defenders of all time, and he’s still doing it at a high level.”
Draymond has averaged 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks for his career. While he might not be remembered as one of the GOAT defenders by the world, Kerr is making it clear that he definitely should.
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