Draymond Green: 5 Reasons He Deserves A Max Contract
Defense
We start with the most obvious asset Green brings to the table: his ability to guard positions one through five. Unlike how “LeBron James can guard any position,” Green legitimately can without tiring. He’s shown he’s adept at switching on screens to defend perimeter players, he’s defended stronger power forwards and centers and he’s the best defender on the league’s stingiest defense.
The fact that he’s not being mentioned first in the Defensive Player of the Year race is a laughably bad oversight. He leads the league in defensive rating and defensive win shares, he’s pulling down 8.2 rebounds per game and he’s also chipping in 1.4 blocks per game — quite an accomplishment for a power forward many considered to be a “tweener” when he first entered the league.
Draymond at the 5 isn't a 30+ minute look, but it's deadly when deployed in spots
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) March 8, 2015
Green’s versatility allows the Warriors to switch screens in high intensity situations where they need a stop. He’s been a rim protector with or without Bogut on the floor, and although you can see his passion (and best in-game celebrations) when he makes a good play on the offensive end, what he cares about the most is the defensive end of the floor. You can’t replace that kind of defensive anchor.
Next: No. 4