Three time All-star power forward for the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green earlier made a very controversial claim that he himself was the best defender whoever played in the history of the NBA. But does he have a legitimate argument? Let's find out.
Here are 10 reasons that make Draymond Green's case as the GDOAT:
- Green is basically a defensive Swiss army knife. He can legitimately guard any position on the floor one-through-five. You hear that a lot about great defenders, but it's actually true with Green.
- Green has a Defensive Player of the Year award under his belt from the 2016-17 NBA season. He averaged 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per game that season, leading the league in thefts as well. You can't have a case without one.
- Green is also a three-time champion. Championship defense > Any other defense.
- He became the first player ever during his Defense Player of the Year season to achieve a triple-double without scoring points in a game. Green finished that matchup versus the Memphis Grizzlies with four points, 12 boards, 10 assists, 10 steals, and five blocks. Pretty cool if you ask me.
- Green has been on the All-Defensive team five times.
- Draymond Green has the perfect build to be your prototypical defender. He's six feet, six inches and weighs in at 240 pounds. He has a low enough center of gravity to stick on the perimeter, but with the girth and wingspan to bang down low.
- His defensive IQ is second to none. Green knows exactly what the opponent is going to do when they are on the offensive side of the ball.
- He never takes a play off. His mentality every single possession is to win every single possession. The energy that he brings to his team on the defensive side of the ball can't be matched by another player, because they do not have all defensive traits that Green does.
- Green's hustle and ability to provide that type of energy to his team is exactly why he has three NBA championships. He definitely can tell he wears his heart on sleeve when watching him play, and without that, he would not be near the player he is known to be today.
- Draymond's defensive impact goes beyond individual defense. Green is truly the definition of a defensive anchor. He's the most vocal player on the court, shouting defensive coverages and calling out lapses to keep his team as locked in as possible. Many players can shut down great scorers, but Green is one of the very few that makes every teammate better on that end of the floor.
In trying to make an argument for Draymond Green as the greatest defender in NBA history, you realize just how much defensive talent there has been in the league's rich history. Despite how great Green is, he's played with some other defensive savants too in Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Andre Iguodala.
Making the case for him to be the greatest ever may be a stretch, but you can't deny that his defense has impacted the way the game defends. Having a versatile, do-it-all stretch five that can switch screens on the perimeter and still come off the weak side to block shots is now crucial in today's NBA.
He may not be the best defender the league has ever seen, but you can't deny that Draymond Green changed the game on that side of the floor.
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