The Golden State Warriors remain one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
After a win over the Toronto Raptors Thursday evening, the Warriors improved to 16-3 since the Jimmy Butler trade.
The trade sent Andrew Wiggins and draft picks to the Miami Heat for the six-time all-star.
Not only has Butler brought another significant scorer to this Warriors lineup, but he's also shown the ability to facilitate and play gritty defense.
They say defense and effort can be infectious, and this has certainly been true of Draymond Green since the trade.
Steve Kerr doubles down on Draymond Green Statement
Back on March 5, Green was an afterthought with his chances of taking home the Defensive Player of the Year trophy at +5000 odds, according to bet365.
However, over two weeks later, Green closed in on Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley, and the odds are currently as short as -105 at BetMGM.
Kerr recently said that Green was the best defender he had ever seen, and when asked again, he doubled down.
"I have a top two and that's Scottie Pippen and Draymond," said Kerr. "What makes Draymond different from Scottie is that Draymond is physically stronger and more capable of guarding low post players.
"I'll give Scottie a break, because back then low post guys were Shaq and Patrick Ewing, and Hakeem [Olajuwon]. It was a very different game back then."
Kerr expanded on his thoughts on Green's versatility and compared him to another of his former Bulls teammates.
"What I see with Draymond when he's guarding the post it's incredible when you then add on top of that his ability to guard the pick-and-roll," said Kerr. "I think Dennis Rodman is actually a great comp for Draymond in that regard. You can see the parallels. The length, the physicality, the speed, but ultimately, it's the brain."
Steve Kerr on Draymond Green being the best defender he has ever seen:
"I have a top two and that's Scottie Pippen and Draymond. What makes Draymond different from Scottie is that Draymond is physically stronger and more capable of guarding low post players... it's incredible." pic.twitter.com/yku01TMBvl
— KNBR (@KNBR) March 21, 2025
Kerr's inclusion of Green among players like Pippen and Rodman speaks volumes about his respect for him, even though Green, like Rodman, has been prone to outbursts.
With Green, however, it's his passion for winning. Whereas, with Rodman, one wasn't always sure of the motives behind his antics.
Regardless, Rodman and Pippen were integral to the winning Bulls teams. Considering Kerr played alongside those two, he's in a better position than anyone to discuss the comparisons between the Hall-of-Fame players and Green.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 11:14 AM.