Every year there is a debate about the criteria for NBA awards. Who should win MVP? This year the race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic has divided opinions. But there’s an award with even greater clarity issues. The Defensive Player of The Year is a prestigious honor to hold. But it has majorly been dominated by shot blockers. The last guard to win before Marcus Smart was Gary Payton and the gap between them was over two decades.
Likewise, bringing attention to the nuances of defense is what’s missing it seems. And Draymond Green wants to fulfill that. He appeared on the Dubs Talk podcast to discuss the scrutinized award. The renowned defender does value the concept of blocks and steals as a partial indicator. But he feels solely judging it off production hides the true essence of defense.
“I think for me defensively, the best thing that can happen to me defensively is nothing because you want to put the fire out before it even starts,” Green said on the podcast. The Warriors forward has won the award once. That was largely because of how he would interrupt the offense from running their plays.
So when thinking about the best defensive player, that’s what comes to his mind. “I can put myself in position to get the steal or go after the steal. Or I can put myself in position to go after the block. Or I can put myself in position to where the steal or the block doesn’t even need to happen. And that’s what I try to do on the defensive side of the ball. I try to put out the fire before it starts. And that is a skill that I think oftentimes can stymie an offense more than getting the steal or getting the block,” Draymond Green advocated.
Mar 3, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The reason he thinks it isn’t noticed as much is because it “requires a different level of focus, like a different level of watch”. If there is an example aside from Green, you would think of somebody like Jrue Holiday. Kevin Durant and several other offensive virtuosos claim there is no better defender than him. Yet, the Celtics guard has never won the honor in his playing career.
So it’s true that there is a side to defense that goes unnoticed when evaluating the award. But with that being said, it’s hard to judge whether one player does it better than the other. It’s not possible to track how many times a player disturbs an offense because there’s several minute motions that can make it happen.
So it’s understandable for Draymond Green to feel the need for change. But it’s also extremely difficult to account for those things when deciding a rightful winner for an accolade.
Draymond Green understands roles better than anyone
Keeping things on defense, Green had a lot of things to say about his career. A surprising one is that the veteran forward didn’t enter the league with a reputation for playing defense. He could facilitate and also score the ball. He still can to be fair, coming off a year shooting 39.5% from three. However, his definition of competing isn’t to always be the man to score.
When he came to the Warriors, the team already had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as the otherworldly shooters around which the offense was built. So he had to find ways to get noticed or make an impact. So he chose defense, and since then, he has fallen in love with the art.
But does it bother him that he has to sacrifice a part of his game?
“I’m okay with it because I know I can shoot it and I know I can score. That just hasn’t been my role on this team. I think people don’t realize in the NBA, you have roles and there’s offenses and they’re built for certain things…Every night the game calls for Steph Curry to shoot 14 threes. Understand by no means am I saying, I’m Steph Curry, I should be shooting 14 threes. But I’m saying our offense is built for Steph Curry to be able to find threes, right? Like, the spacing is built for that. Our offense isn’t necessarily built for me to get shots,” he explained.
So for him, growing proficient in his role was important. And in doing that, he has carried out a successful career. Draymond Green has been a core member of the Warriors for a decade, and not once has he averaged over 15 points. How crazy is that? The 35-year-old just understood the need of the hour and became one of the best at it.
So although it is a sacrifice, at this point he doesn’t feel that way. Draymond Green is doing exactly what his role dictates. And when he does, the Warriors and Stephen Curry benefit immensely from it.
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