When talking about the greatest defenders in NBA history, Draymond Green is rarely included in the conversation. But perhaps it's time for that to change.
In a recent chat with the media, the 3x Champion spoke candidly about how he sees himself in the context of history's best defenders. In about a minute, he explained why he believes he belongs right there at the top:
"When people think like 'oh man, this guy's a great defender' you're thinking 'well he was guarding this guy one-on-one, how did you stop him' With defense, it's so much more than that. If you watch a game offensively, and you see a guy who only scores the ball, he doesn't get anybody else involved, you're gonna have a problem with that. It's the same thing defensivelym" Green said."
"You can’t just be a great on-ball defender; you can’t just be a great weak-side defender. You have to put all those things to together. And when you’re looking at the defensive end, I think I put all those things together better than anybody in the history of the game.”
In basketball, it's easy to identify what we see on the offensive end. Guys like Steph Curry and LeBron James are so great on that end because they're able to score at will while creating opportunities for those around them.
On defense, it can be a lot harder to understand what you're seeing. Draymond actually explored this topic last month when he explained why defense never goes viral.
"Just like defense never goes viral because half the people don't know what the hell they're looking at. It's so easy to say, 'Oh man, this guy made a shot. He got hot.' We all can f*****g see that, so can my kids. But on the defensive end, it's a little different. You have to actually know what you're looking at in order to dissect and pull it apart. Most people don't."
Draymond, 31, is in his 10th season in the league. Despite relatively low statistical numbers, he has always been regarded as an essential member of the Warriors. His work on the defensive side of the ball has been a key to their success over the years.
As a multiple-time Champion, 3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA player, and 1x Defensive Player of the Year, he has already marked his place in history.
Maybe, if he is able to help lead the Dubs to another title, people will start to take another look at just how special he really is.
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