Draymond Green added yet another accolade to his collection this month when he was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team, but in his eyes, the recognition did not reflect the season he put together despite being limited by injuries.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Green said he deserved a spot on the First Team.
“For me, it’s a slight,” Green said of his Second Team nod. “I think when I look at the First Team, I’m not sure I can pinpoint definitely not five guys that had a better defensive season than me, and there are no game requirements.”
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Green had hopes of earning a second Defensive Player of the Year award as he finished out the season, even after missing a substantial number of games while sidelined with a back injury. He ended up appearing in just 46 regular-season contests, but his impact during that time on the court was undeniable.
The Warriors’ defensive rating was 104.2 with Green on the floor this season and 112.0 without their star forward, per StatMuse. Green is the quarterback of Golden State’s defense, and even though he missed significant time, he believes what he did during his minutes played should have weighed more heavily on voters’ minds.
“There’s not some amount that you have to play in order to win,” Green continued on Tuesday. “If there was an amount that you had to play in order to win, then I’d be an idiot sitting here saying that … There’s just kind of this thought from people that, ‘Ah, you played this amount of games.’
Golden State Warriors
“But what you had to see, I think it’d be hard for someone to come and show me better, especially not five guys.”
Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics), Mikal Bridges (Phoenix Suns), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies) were named to the All-Defensive First Team.
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Green nabbed the last spot on the Second Team and didn’t receive any First Team votes. Joining him on the Second Team were Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Robert Williams III (Boston Celtics), Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia 76ers) and Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks).
Even though Green considered the recognition a “slight,” it marked the 32-year-old’s seventh career All-Defensive team selection.
But Dub Nation knows that Green responds to doubt with plenty of fire, which has shown on the court during the Warriors’ run to their sixth NBA Finals appearance in eight years. With Game 1 against the Boston Celtics set for Thursday, the Chase Center crowd can expect that added motivation to be reflected in Green’s stat line.