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NBA: Top 10 Candidates For Defensive Player Of The Year Award In 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet

November 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots the basketball against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots the basketball against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) blocks the shot of Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) during the second quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Draymond Green

At 6’7″, it’s truly remarkable what Draymond Green and his massive wingspan are able to accomplish on a nightly basis. He truly is a one-of-a-kind defender, a walking innovator whose mere presence as a small-ball 4 and 5 has altered the course of NBA history.

Not only can Green make plays and knock down threes on the offensive end, but he’s a tenacious — albeit undersized — rebounder and shot-blocker defensively. His ability to switch screens is what has made the Golden State Warriors‘ defense and small-ball units so deadly over the last two seasons.

Green earned the most first place votes for DPOY in 2014-15, ultimately losing to Kawhi Leonard in total points because a few voters — cough, East coast voters who didn’t stay up often enough to actually watch the West coast Warriors play, cough — didn’t even have him in their top three.

Leonard was more than deserving last season, but perhaps a mixture of voter fatigue and Green anchoring another elite defense that just lost rim protector Andrew Bogut will draw more attention to his status as perhaps the most surprisingly versatile defender the NBA has seen thus far.

After all, how many other 6’7″ guys are capable of averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game while also defending the perimeter and making perfect strips in transition like this?

Voter fatigue doesn’t take long to set in, which may be enough to give Green the edge over Kawhi Leonard in 2016-17.

If he can anchor another top-five defense despite Zaza Pachulia not being a rim protector and despite the Warriors’ loss of bench depth, and if he stops kicking people in the nuts, this two-time DPOY runner-up and two-time All-Defensive First Team selection may finally earn this well-deserved award.