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“Draymond Green is the most impactful role player of all time”: Kyle Kuzma controversially proclaims Warriors DPOY to be a role player after matching LeBron James and Larry Bird

Samir Mehdi
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“Draymond Green is the most impactful role player of all time”: Kyle Kuzma controversially proclaims Warriors DPOY to be a role player after matching LeBron James and Larry Bird

Kyle Kuzma proclaims that Draymond Green is the greatest and most impactful role player of all time after an incredible stat of Green’s is revealed. 

Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors are rolling against the Denver Nuggets this first round series. The main storyline has been the emergence of Jordan Poole as a the third ‘Splash Brother’ alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and so it’s easy to overlook players who are providing a subtle but magnanimous impact to the way the series goes. 

One such player is Draymond Green who is clearly the best defensive player in the world. The Warriors star is currently in his defensive prime and his play on Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP, is proof of what he’s capable of doing for a title contending defense.

Also read: “Draymond Green told me he liked Jordan Poole”: Bob Myers reveals the former DPOY’s reaction to drafting JP in 2019

While Jokic is averaging nearly 30 points a game through these first three games in the Playoffs, the fact that Green is managing his own in single coverage for the most part is what is keeping the Nuggets at bay. 

Michael Malone does not have the personnel to carry out schemes that can get wide open looks for guys off of Jokic in the post against the Dubs and it shows. 

Kyle Kuzma on Draymond Green. 

Kyle Kuzma has been incredibly active on Twitter this 2022 NBA Playoffs. His most recent tweet is about how Draymond Green is the most impactful role player of time after seeing a stat that places him amongst guys like LeBron James and Larry Bird and fans are a bit iffy. 

While the sentiment of calling him the greatest of something is nice, the fact that Kuzma relegated Green to ‘role player’ status feels a bit off.

Also read: “Ben Simmons is going to play the ‘Draymond Green role’?? Like that’s something simple”: Isaiah Thomas is mad about people casually throwing around Warriors point forward’s comparisons

Draymond has won three championships while being the best defender on all three of those teams, has won a DPOY, is a steals champ, and has made 2 All-NBA teams to go along with 4 All-Star teams. 

Role players are more of what Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, and John Havlicek were. Green is a generational defender in his prime and with all the star-power on the Golden State Warriors, is not a role player by any means. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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