Draymond Green Reveals Why 2022 Warriors Title Was His Most Satisfying Championship

At the time, the league no longer viewed the Warriors as the unstoppable dynasty that dominated from 2015 to 2019. Injuries had piled up, the roster looked thinner, and there were major questions about whether Golden State’s aging core could still compete at the highest level.

In fact, Green admitted he entered the playoffs convinced the Warriors were going to lose early.

“We weren’t favored,” he further explained. “Everyone was calling us ‘too small,’ ‘Boston, they’re too athletic.’ And we went and made it happen.”

However, the uncertainty made the eventual championship even sweeter. The Bay Area team had barely seen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green healthy together during the regular season. Many analysts believed younger, more athletic teams like the Boston Celtics would simply overwhelm them physically.

According to the four-time NBA champion, the turning point came immediately after Golden State dismantled Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round. That night convinced him the Warriors had rediscovered the versatility and lineup flexibility required to survive a playoff run.

Rashad McCants Snubs Draymond Green From All-Time Defender List 

For the most part, defense has always been the foundation of Draymond Green’s career. While he never established himself as a scorer, his versatility, toughness, and basketball IQ earned him a reputation as one of the best defenders of his era.

Still, former NBA player Rashad McCants does not believe Green belongs in the all-time defender conversation.

Speaking on the Above The Rim podcast, McCants argued that Golden State’s system and today’s switch-heavy NBA style heavily drove Green’s success.

“The championships put him in the conversation. I wouldn’t say his ability puts him in the conversation,” McCants said.

The former NBA guard explained that truly great players can dominate in any era. He mentioned stars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal as players whose games would translate anywhere.

However, he questioned whether Green would have survived physically in older eras built around dominant big men.

Green’s supporters would point to his Defensive Player of the Year award, four championships, and ability to guard all five positions. But critics like McCants still believe the Warriors’ system shaped Curry’s greatness more than timeless individual dominance.