Shortly after calling himself ‘one of the best players in the league’ Golden State Warriors’ Swiss army knife Draymond Green set a new goal for himself this season—winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.
“That’s something I want to win,” Green told ESPN. “And if there’s anything I’ve ever been selfish about, it’s that award. Like, I want that award.”
As noted by Cbssports.com, despite being undersized as a frontcourt player, Green is averaging 1.7 blocks, good for ninth in the league, while also placing fifth in steals, with an average of 2.3 per game.
“That doesn’t bother me to say I’m selfish in that regard. I want that award bad,” Green emphasized.“ “And that’s because I view myself as a defender. It’s like if I view myself as a scorer then I want to win the scoring title. If I am a scorer and I say I’m a scorer and that’s what I do, I want to win the scoring title because it says I was the best in this year at what I do. So that is something that I want to win.”
Green has always set the tone defensively for the Golden State Warriors, particularly in their two Finals runs—ably defending everyone from perimeter threats like Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, to low post brutes like Blake Griffin and Marc Gasol.
This season, however, with the departure of reliable defenders Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes, the Warriors haven’t been the same team, placing in the bottom 10 teams defensively, giving up 105.8 points per 100 possessions. As pointed out by Cbssports.com, Green’s likely DPOY rival Kawhi Leonard, plays on a team that’s the top 10, giving up just 100.7 points per 100 possessions. While other potential DPOY candidates, likewise play on good defensive teams, with Rudy Gobert’s Utah Jazz being in the top 10, and DeAndre Jordan’s Los Angeles Clippers currently boasting of the league’s best defense.
Through 11 games this season, Green is averaging 10.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.
