In a bit of lighter, more obvious news: Draymond Green has a lot of self-confidence. On the most recent episode of the Dubs Talk podcast, Golden State Warriors veteran big man was asked who the best defender in the league was.
“I think I'm the best defender to ever play this game,” Green responded.
Just this year, Green has a lot of competition if he wants to claim the DPOY Award, the most popular measuring stick for determining the league's best defender each year. Between mainstays like Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, and Ben Simmons (not to mention resurgent stories like Lebron James' own underrated efforts), Green will be hard-pressed to back up his claims.
“I think when you look at the things that make a good defender: Reaction time, toughness, being able to see the picture long before it develops, and most importantly, in order to finish a defensive possession, you got to rebound, and I think I rebound well,” Green continued.
This is interesting to note. Draymond's claim, as initially ludicrous and boastful as it seems, is not unwarranted. He is a five-time member of the All-NBA Defensive Team and earned the DPOY himself in 2017. As a 6'6 center, Green is a bit of a unicorn in his own right. There is bound to be pushback from any fan or player that hears this statement from Green, but no one can say that Green isn't at least one of the most versatile defenders of all time.
After all, to his credit, he does rebound well and is the rare player that can effectively guard all five positions on the court at any given time. His counting stats will never be eye-popping, but he was a key cog to the Warriors' vaunted small-ball Death Lineup. Green is the ultimate switch defender and it's notable that none of the qualities that he mentions about his defensive prowess relate directly to athleticism.
It is common for fans to scoff at present greatness in favor of nostalgia and the old. But in this case, with a self-proclaimed Swiss Army Knife like Draymond Green, maybe there is more to his claims than meet the eye. Behind the bluster and the words lies a deeply intelligent student of the game, and a winner to boot.
Maybe he's right.
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