When San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the remainder of the season last month, Draymond Green made a proclamation: he was gunning for Defensive Player of the Year, now that the frontrunner was ineligible.
Perhaps it was a bold proclamation, as it’s been eight seasons since Green won the esteemed award, and no player in NBA history has gone that long between taking home the defensive hardware.
And yet, Green was having a sensational defensive season then, and it’s only gotten better since ... as evidenced by being named Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month in March.
Per Cleaning The Glass, the Golden State Warriors have a garbage-time adjusted defensive rating of 112.2, which is seventh-best in the NBA. But it’s been even better lately: since Jimmy Butler III debuted, marking the start of the Warriors seemingly believing that they can actually make a run, that defensive rating has been 110.0, third-best in the league during that span. Butler has been strong during his tenure, Gary Payton II has been a defensive wizard in his short stints, Kevon Looney is always strong, and Moses Moody has taken huge strides this year, but it’s still not a roster that’s full of defensive studs. The Warriors being one of the best defensive teams in the league is a clear indication of Green’s stardom on that end of the court.
So what do you think, Dub Nation ... should he win his second Defensive Player of the Year award?