Hoops Habit
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NBA Player Power Rankings: Three-Quarter Season Awards

By Maxwell Ogden

Feb 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts with forward Draymond Green (23) after making a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts with forward Draymond Green (23) after making a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 9, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) smiles between plays against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 115-94. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) smiles between plays against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 115-94. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

Award: All-NBA Second Team

Last Rank: No. 9

Position: Power Forward

Age: 26

Slash Line: .477/.396/.672

Season Averages: 34.5 MPG, 13.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.7 ORPG, 7.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.2 3PM

The Golden State Warriors are an all-time team because of the depth and coaching they’ve so brilliantly harmonized. Anyone who attempts to dispute the individual greatness of the players on the roster is simply doing an injustice to those who make that unstoppable system flourish.

Stephen Curry is the clear favorite for Most Valuable Player, but Draymond Green is the key cog who makes the system what it is.

If you were to remove Curry from the roster, you’d have a very good team running a great system. If you remove Green and keep Curry on the Warriors, you’d have a great team running a broken system—and that’s why he’s so great.

Whether or not you believe he’d thrive on another team, Green is the player who makes every aspect of Steve Kerr‘s system flow.

Green can defend all five positions, play both the 4 and the 5, and protect the paint. He can facilitate, bring the ball up, space the floor from 3-point range, go to the post in a pinch, and crash the glass on both ends.

Statistics only tell so much of a story, but Green’s value can be found in the fact that he’s the Warriors’ defensive ace and the team leader in both rebounds and assists per game.

Next: The Leader