Draymond Green has been an excellent defender his entire career, stacking eight All-Defensive nominations over his first 12 seasons in the NBA. The four-time champion appears to be headed for another nod this season, especially considering his defensive tenacity throughout the Warriors’ recent hot streak.
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Green showed out against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, helping lead the Dubs to an unexpected victory without Stephen Curry. The 35-year-old put together a prime performance, holding Giannis Antetokounmpo to an uncharacteristic 0-6 from the field as the two-time MVP’s primary defender.
Thanks to his recent stretch of lockdown defense, Green has leapfrogged past the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dyson Daniels in the Defensive Player of the Year race. He now sits with +600, a distant second behind Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, who sits at -300.
Giannis vs. Draymond tonight
(via @NBCSWarriors) pic.twitter.com/82whuxDa2A
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 19, 2025
At this point in the season, the award appears to be Mobley’s to lose, but Green isn’t out of the race yet. He’ll have 12 more contests to prove he’s worthy of winning his second career DPOY. With 2.5 stocks per game and the ability to guard all five positions, Green certainly has a great case.
The award was once nearly guaranteed to Victor Wembanyama, but since the Spurs sensation was ruled out for the season, Green has stressed how badly he wants to add the accolade to his trophy case.
“I look around the league, I don’t see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do,” Green said. “Especially with Wemby going down, it seemed like he had it won, and now it’s right there.”
Green will have to put together a string of masterful defensive outings if he’s to surpass Mobley as the favorite. It’s a long shot, but the Michigan native clearly has the support of his teammates.
Golden State has raved about Draymond’s defense all season
Draymond Green has always been confident in his abilities, but his teammates and coaches know how important he is to the Warriors too. Jimmy Butler raved over the hotheaded forward’s performance against the Greek Freak, claiming that it doesn’t matter who’s in Green’s way—he wants to stop them.
“[Draymond] always like that. Not just Giannis. He don’t give a damn who he’s going up against. If he’s going up against a damn 5-year-old. He would hate for that individual to score on him. And he wouldn’t want anybody to help him,” Butler said.
Steve Kerr also praised Green’s performance against Antetokounmpo. The Bucks star is one of the most dominant forces in the league, so holding him without a made field goal is no easy task.
“To hold him to five field goals, [Draymond] showed why he’s still one of the great defenders in the world,” Kerr added. Whether he wins DPOY or not, the Warriors know how valuable Green is to their championship aspirations.
