The Golden State Warriors are coming off their biggest win of the 2017-18 NBA season with their Christmas Day victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game itself featured a fair share of both highlights and controversial calls, however, the Warriors ultimately prevailed thanks to the late-game heroics of superstar Kevin Durant.

Not only was he the team’s leading scorer with 25 points, but he also took on the duty of guarding Cavs superstar LeBron James. His recent performance earned heavy praise from superstar Draymond Green, who thinks his teammate is making a strong case for this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne

“He could,” Green said. “I’m kinda like the quarterback (on defense) but every quarterback needs a great receiver. Isn’t Antonio Brown in the MVP talk this year?”

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As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Green’s comments certainly carry a lot of weight. That said, there is plenty of truth to what he is saying.
While he is largely known for his scoring prowess, Durant has been vocal about putting some emphasis on the defensive end. Needless to say, it has paid off tremendously thus far as he currently ranks second in the NBA in blocks (64). Furthermore, he seemed to embrace the tall task of guarding James in their holiday win.