Draymond Green praised Victor Wembanyama for being vocal about his MVP case, saying he hates that a player of Wemby’s caliber has to remind people that defense makes up 50% of the game.
Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green shared his thoughts on San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama being vocal about his case for league MVP.
Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama
MIN: 29.13
PTS: 24.1 (59.38%)
REB: 11.14
AS: 2.95
ST: 1.05
BL: 3.08
TO: 2.47
GM: 59
After a 109-106 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, Green delivered a long and emotional speech, saying he loved that Wemby was unapologetically defending his MVP case.
Green noted that defense often gets overlooked, and he hates that players sometimes have to remind the world how critical it is.
"I hated it...and I absolutely loved it," Green said.
"Wemby said, 'Defense is 50% of the game,' and it was like, oh, no one realized that? No one realized that 50% of the game we play is on that end of the floor?" he added.
"Everybody says he has a great point," Green continued, referencing Wembanyama's reminder. "Hello? You think? I hated that he had to do that for it to be said. All of a sudden, you turn on the TV and everybody is like, 'Actually, maybe Wemby is the MVP.'"
Green didn't explicitly name Wembanyama as his MVP pick but emphasized the importance of defense.
"It's an indictment on the game of basketball," Green said. "Everybody wants to crush Luka Doncic when Luka doesn't live up to the standard of defense. But we got this guy defending entire teams and nobody took it into account until he said defense is 50% of the game. I want to give him so much credit for such a profound statement. But was it really that profound? It's so true, yet it took him saying it for people to see it."
Green is known for speaking out during award season. Last March, he inserted himself into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation with a similarly lively press conference, ultimately finishing third in voting.
"With these awards, if you don't talk, people can't see," Green said. "With the game of basketball, let's not act like everyone can just open their eyes and know what's going on... Until Evan Mobley finally said something last year, no one was going to give him Defensive Player of the Year. If you don't come out and speak for yourself, it doesn't work."
"I tip my cap to Wemby for being willing to sit up there on that platform and say, 'This is why,'" Green said.
"Not hide from the question. Not just assume they'll figure it out. No, they won't. I'm happy he's smart enough to know they won't figure it out. You don't help them see it... damn it, they can't see."
As of Wednesday night, Wembanyama had played in 57 regular-season games, plus the NBA Cup bonus game, meaning he must appear in seven of the Spurs' final 10 games to qualify for postseason awards.
Wembanyama has been the heart and soul of this season for the Spurs, leading the team back to relevance as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 55-18 record.
Despite early-season injuries, Wembanyama has emerged as one of the league's top talents, averaging 24.1 points on over 50% shooting, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He also leads the NBA in blocks with 3.1 per game and has anchored the Spurs' defense, which ranks among the league's top three with a 110.4 rating.
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