Draymond Green's play unequivocally defends its bearing on the Golden State Warriors and the NBA, in any argument. However, due to his edgy and headstrong mentality in a softened brand of professional basketball where star players are allowed to travel and avoid foul calls, Green's hobby of verbally trashing his opponent(s) in the midst of a game overshadows his flexibility and his injection of primal passion.
Many players, no matter their size, are not physical enough to guard both the point guard and center positions, while single-handedly running a fastbreak possession as the primary ball-handler. Green does this all with ease while shooting at a somewhat-efficient clip, rebounding at a team-leading rate, and distributing at a top-ten pace. Mind you, this year's Warriors won an NBA record 73 games.
This week Green was named to both the All-NBA Second Team and the All-NBA Defensive First Team, after becoming an All-Star for the first time in February. HIs plus-minus (which measures net point differential with a fixed variable on the floor) was second in the Association to LeBron James.
Draymond is truly a generational talent, that should be looked at for his defensive impact, infectious tenacity, and his relentless strength on both ends of the floor.
Sure, the man averaged about three personal fouls per game (which was tied for 13th most in the NBA). Of course, in the mind of any follower of the NBA, the Warriors 6 foot 7 inch position-less man is the heaviest talker out of anyone who professionally laces up his shoes. But with these minuscule faults in mind, can he do anything else wrong on the hardwood?
According to nyloncalculus.com, he allowed his opponents to only shoot 46 percent. Draymond, keep in mind, logged more minutes than the people ahead of him, and was the shortest player to lock down the paint.
People have a knack for passing up on Green, as in 2012 NBA Draft he was the 35th overall pick. This was because of his "tweener" status (or, in my opinion, a poor excuse for not knowing what position someone should play).
Clear, is it, that the versatility is unparalleled in the NBA and underappreciated in the social sphere. People have to overlook the traditional stats (which are still impressive) and pay attention to the Warriors' tenacity once Green hits the floor.
It's ridiculous that stats have to speak volumes for individual play, due to the game's emphasis on analytics and player-tracking, but you can watch Draymond and see that on two different possessions he can contest Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, all while playing help defense on anyone scorching to the lane.
The reason Draymond didn't get considered for MVP was because Stephen Curry had such a prolific, offensive season. But Green is a much better all-around player than Curry. And by that logic, he's a better all-around player than anyone in today's NBA.
Accolades are nice, statistics are fine, but watch Draymond Green play.
