Kevon Looney had plenty of admiration for Draymond Green's performance throughout Game 2, as the latter showed his mettle at both ends of the floor in a 114-11 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. The Golden State Warriors engine spearheaded the team's comeback in the third quarter and battled through foul trouble in the fourth, despite picking up his fifth foul with 7:40 left in regulation.
“He’s probably the smartest player on the court every time he steps out there,” Looney said of Green, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “And he plays harder than everybody. He’s always a play ahead and he talks everybody through every play. And he’s got that intimidation factor, too.”
Green was intimidating in the first quarter, swatting four shots before the end of the period and fueling the Warriors into the game, despite a quick and balanced attack from a hungry Blazers team.
Teammate Andre Iguodala backed up Looney's claims.
“He’s smart. He’s stronger than he looks, and his arms are really long,” Iguodala said of Green. “I’ve seen him completely take people out. Remember what he did to Marc Gasol?”
Looney has learned a vast part of his defensive play through Green's teachings, and is considered one of the Warriors' priorities to re-sign this summer after Klay Thompson.
Unlike other top-notch defenders, Green's ability to kickstart the break and create offense spawning from his defensive plays is perhaps what sets him apart as a catalyst for this championship-laden team.
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