Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green only mustered Second Team All-Defensive honors despite only being a year removed from winning the Defensive Player of the Year award after a three-year chase. While he is still a constant believer in his abilities as a defender, so are his coach and teammates.

draymond green
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“If you asked every coach in the league, ‘You could have any five defenders you want,' I guarantee you Draymond would be one of those five,” said Steve Kerr of his defensive ace, according to Melissa Rohlin of the San Jose Mercury News.

His teammate in two-time MVP Stephen Curry, who watched Green from the bench during an early postseason stretch against the veteran San Antonio Spurs, knows just how much of a factor he really is in this defense.

“I don't know advanced analytics but, to the eye test, he's still as dominating a force on that end as he was last year or the year before,” said Curry. “A lot of that is mostly he wasn't talking about it as much this year as he was last year.”

Draymond Green Free Throw
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Curry thinks the snub from the First Team could favor the Warriors, giving Green a little-added edge.

“That might give him a little bit of an edge or a chip on his shoulder,” said Curry. “He feeds off of that stuff.”

Green's 2017-18 season wasn't as dominant, nor as publicly blatant about seeking First Team honors — though it is a tough group to crack.

Green didn't lead the league in steals as he did last season, and with other frontcourt players like Rudy Gobert and Anthony Davis having stellar years, it made this a much tougher feat to achieve.

Some argue Robert Covington of the Philadelphia 76ers was unjustly named to the First Team, but now all that can be done is wait to make the point for next season.

Brandon Ingram, Draymond Green
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