Draymond Green doesn't light up the scoreboard but he does what's needed to win games.
Tom Izzo, Green's college coach at Michigan State, noted that the 33-year-old perhaps is the best player he has ever seen when it comes to doing the little things to alter the outcome of games.
"You know what, he's at the top of the list of us making winning plays," Izzo told Bonta Hill, Festus Ezeli, Chris Mullin and Dorell Wright on "Warriors Pregame Live" before Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night. "I said, 'I don't know if he's the best player -- there was a lot of good players out there -- but he might be the best winner.' "
Since becoming Michigan State's coach in 1995, Izzo has seen and coached a handful of players that embodied Green's mindset, though none have compared to the Warriors' defensive anchor.
"There's not a lot of them, when you look, that actually make winning plays and winning is the most important thing," Izzo continued. "I promise you: Draymond could score none ... but if he wins, he's happy."
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Golden State Warriors
As the Warriors take on the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the second-round NBA playoff series at Chase Center, they certainly will need Green to do what needs to be done if Golden State wants to extend its playoff run to Game 6.
And with Izzo knowing what type of player Green is, Warriors fans can be hopeful to see a focused and energized Green from the jump.