On Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors faced a Dallas Mavericks team that had won seven straight games in a game that could have major implications on the playoff picture in the Western Conference. The Warriors played as well of a game as they've had in the 2023-24 season, with Draymond Green spearheading a spirited defensive effort to take home a 104-100 win that gives Golden State a bigger cushion for the 10th spot in the standings after the Houston Rockets lost again.

In particular, Green reserved his best basketball for when it mattered the most. He showed that he's still in a league of his own as a small-ball big man after outplaying Mavericks center Daniel Gafford in the fourth quarter. Not only did the Warriors veteran score a few buckets and draw a few fouls on the Mavs big man, he also had an emphatic rejection on him late in a close contest, preventing Dallas from inching closer late in the game.

Simply put, the Warriors got an incredible performance from Draymond Green just when they needed it, with Stephen Curry going through one of his worst games of the season (14 points on 5-18 shooting). In fact, Green wowed veteran teammate Chris Paul to the point where the grizzled floor general described his block on Daniel Gafford as one of the best plays he has seen in his 19-year NBA career.

“I told Dray, ‘That might be one of the best plays I had ever seen in my career, and I'm not exaggerating, man.' If you see just see the heart, you know what I mean?” Paul said in his postgame interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, via ClutchPoints Twitter (X). “It's something to see night-in, night-out man, the way he competes. He willed us to this win tonight.”

Draymond Green, the defensive genius

Draymond Green continues to be one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. His antics on the court are frustrating, and he's not going to impact the game if he's not lining up alongside superstars of Stephen Curry's caliber. But Green, who is proud to say that he's the best defender the league has ever seen, lived up to his reputation during the Warriors' win over the Mavericks on Tuesday night.

“Draymond is just special. A defensive mastermind. He's everywhere,” Andrew Wiggins said, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

The Warriors have played with a greater sense of urgency as of late, particularly on the defensive end. They have won five straight games, while holding their opponents to 100 points or fewer in four of their past five, showcasing their teeth on the less glamorous end of basketball.

“We know everything stops and starts with our defense. On the defensive end, we have to make sure teams feel us and let us dictate what we want the offense to do. I think our defense throughout the last six, seven games [has] been constant. In order to continue to get the season where we want it to get — to the playoffs and to try and make a run — that has to be that way,” Green added.

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Green's defense makes him indispensable for the Warriors

If Draymond Green as any other player, the Warriors would have cut bait on him a long time ago. But the team can't be its best version without him given how impactful he is as the team's defensive anchor and primary playmaker.

The Warriors have backed Green despite a challenging, controversy-riddled season, and his defensive excellence makes him indispensable for a Dubs team that's looking to prolong its competitive window for as long as possible. It has been obvious that Green and the Warriors have a perfect marriage — with the Dubs reaching its apex when Green is playing at his best, and Green being able to play his game thanks to the system Steve Kerr has installed as well as the patience the entire franchise has had with him.