The 2024-25 NBA season has seen many surprising things happen, but probably the most unbelievable one is the defensive resurgence of Draymond Green. The Warriors anchor has always been a huge menace on the defensive end, but age seemed to have slowed him down. This season though, he’s found the same rich vein of form that won him his only DPOY way back in the 2016-17 season. Green has made his obsession clear too – he wants this award and he wants it bad.
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Just 5 days ago, after the four-time champion locked down Giannis Antetokkounmpo in a vintage defensive masterclass, he made his feelings known about his chances for the award.
Green claimed that the race had been blown wide open after Victor Wembanyama’s season-ending injury, and he “one million percent” has a case for the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy come June.
“I look around the league, I don’t see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do… Especially with Wemby going down, it seemed like he had it won, and now it’s right there. One million percent I have a case, and I’ll continue to build that case in these next 13 games, but (Wednesday night) was a prime example of it,” Green told 777Score.
And as we all know about Green, he’s not just all talk. After those bold words, he’s put in as much effort as one would’ve expected and has made huge leaps in the top odds for the award.
Just a few days ago, Green was the second favorite to win the award, behind the Cavs’ Evan Mobley. But the Cavs’ poor 4-game-losing streak, when taken into consideration with Green leading the league in stocks (steals + blocks) for the month of March, has seen the balance tip toward the veteran forward.
Polymarket, a top sports betting website, now has Green as a 52.4% favorite for the award, with Mobley in 2nd position with 41.7% odds in his favor.
If the Warriors continue the marauding form they’ve been in since Jimmy Butler’s arrival and the Cavs continue to lose games that we’ve seen them win all season long, we may just see one of the most unlikely DPOY winners in recent history.
Green has a case for DPOY, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t get lucky
If you had told someone at the start of the season that Green would lead the DPOY race in March, they’d have assumed you were pulling their leg. But Green’s defensive resurgence has come at the perfect time. With two major frontrunners Victor Wembanyama and Jaren Jackson Jr. both getting injured in recent weeks, he was able to jimmy his foot into the door.
It was a well-known fact that Wemby was the odds-on favorite to win the DPOY for the next few years, and before his blood clot diagnosis came in, he was doing just that.
Numbers-wise, he was dominant, with 3.8 blocks and 1.1 steals in 46 games. Even without the numbers, Wemby’s defensive presence was immense, with his 7-foot-4 frame causing many players to rethink wide-open layups in the paint.
After the Frenchman was shut down for the season, Jaren Jackson Jr. saw an upturn in his defensive form, with the Grizzlies forward and former winner jumping up to 2nd in the rankings.
Unfortunately for him, he missed nearly 10 days with an ankle sprain, and Green’s domineering role in the Warriors becoming the league’s top-rated defense, overshadowed his fellow Spartan’s game.
Sure, Green has been playing some unbelievable defense this season- look no further than him holding Giannis scoreless when guarding him just a couple of days ago. But there is a clear element of good fortune that’s come his way.
Wemby’s injury, coupled with Butler’s arrival in Golden State, have allowed Green’s defensive efforts to gain nationwide recognition, and with him being 12 years older than Mobley, this really may be his last possible shot at another personal accolade on his resume.
