San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) looks back at the referee during a game against the Detroit Pistons in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Imagesimage captionSan Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) looks back at the referee during a game against the Detroit Pistons in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) looks back at the referee during a game against the Detroit Pistons in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Draymond Green put on a defensive clinic in the Golden State Warriors' 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center on Tuesday. Green helped shut down a potent Bucks offense and postgame, was asked if he reckons he has a case to win Defensive Player of the Year this season.
"If we keep winning and close this year out strong, most definitely," Green said. "I look around the league, I don’t see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do. I don’t see many players completely throwing off an entire team’s offense the way I do.
"So, one thousand percent," Green continued. "Especially with Wemby going down. Seemed like he had it won and now it's right there. So, one million percent I have a case, and I will continue to build that case for these next 13 games. Tonight I think was a prime example of that.”
Victor Wembanyama was running away with the award before he was ruled out for the rest of the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Evan Mobley has become the favorite now but Green, who has a defensive rating of 108.9 this season, believes he is building up a strong case for it.
Thanks in large part to Green, the Warriors have a defensive rating of 107.9 after the All-Star break, which ranks second in the NBA. The arrival of Jimmy Butler has certainly helped, but Draymond is the one who has been leading the charge on that end of the floor.
In the game against the Bucks, Green did a phenomenal job of guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP went 0-6 from the field and 0-1 from three when Green was defending him. There's almost no one else in the NBA who can shut down Antetokounmpo in that manner.
For all his brilliance on the defensive end over the years, though, Green has only won DPOY once, back in 2017. He believes he should have won more in his career and it's hard to argue with that.
Green is most frustrated about not winning in 2015 when he had more first-place votes than Kawhi Leonard, who took home the award. He thinks he deserved to win it that year and he might well have.
Draymond Green On Why Voters Have Struggled With The DPOY Award
A lot of players, including Green, have expressed their frustration when it comes to DPOY voting over the years. Someone as great as Tim Duncan never even won the award and in this postgame press conference, Draymond was asked why voters don't seem to get this right.
"I think the voters look at stat numbers," Green said. "If you don’t watch the game, you can miss it. If you just go look at the stats, it don’t always tell the story."
"You got some people that have a vote on the East Coast that probably see us play four times a year," Green stated. "And if you look at the stats, you're going to be like, 'Oh, Draymond averages one steal and a block.' Those numbers don't jump off the page at you. But you go watch me play and then ask the opposing coach what did I do to their offense? It's a different story."
Green is averaging 9.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in 2024-25. Those numbers don't scream DPOY, but they don't tell the full story as the four-time All-Star pointed out.
All Green can do is continue to play great defense and hope that the voters recognize his impact on the games. The 35-year-old is in action next against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center on Tuesday at 10 PM ET.
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