Not Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic is the Hardest Player to Defend for Draymond Green

In a league that celebrates players who can score, Draymond Green made his name by being a defensive anchor. The Warriors forward, despite his 6’6″ frame, has earned his stripes as one of the greatest defenders of all time.

Green’s ability to guard positions 1 through 5 has been pivotal for the four championships the Warriors have won in the last decade. In his 13-year career, the accolades earned by Warriors star include the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017, and nine All-Defensive Team selections. He was also the NBA Steals Leader in 2017.

As one can imagine, none of this has been easy, and he’s had to guard and block the who’s who of the NBA to secure these accolades. And Green recently shared the name of the toughest baller he’s ever had to face.

“The hardest player I have had to guard in my career is Kevin Durant. KD and OKC. After that, I figured him out like, Slim can’t score on me no more. He’s going to score on everybody. But I got better and learnt more about his game. But with OKC and just coming into the league, figuring it out … Oh my god!” Green said on Kai Cenat’s live stream.

This was back when Green joined the league in 2012, and KD was at the peak of his prowess with the Thunder. From 2016 to 2019, there were teammates as well. Green has, admittedly, figured out how to deal with one of the best scorers of all time now. Then again, there’s always a new challenge on the horizon.

As far as this current generation of players is concerned, there’s one name that worries Green a little.

Claiming that he still gives most of these guys plenty of trouble, Green revealed, “The hardest now is Joker [Nikola Jokic]. I play with Steph, so I don’t have that headache … Luka [Doncic] will always be one of the toughest, but that ain’t my matchup. The hardest to guard right now is Joker.”

Draymond was the primary defender on Jokic when the Warriors faced the Nuggets in the 2022 Playoffs. Green was a menace for Joker to deal with, and helped the Warriors advance to the next round.

Since then, Jokic has added more elements to his game and has been able to keep Green on his toes. Jokic uses his size to dominate the matchup.

Draymond also mentioned another player who has been giving him a tough time. But the veteran forward refused to reveal his identity, claiming that he wouldn’t want to give this opponent that mental edge.