Draymond Green is starting to make a case for himself as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Green has won the award just once in his career, coming in 2017 ahead of Rudy Gobert’s first of four in 2018. Green is a four-time All-NBA Defensive First Team selection and four-time Second Team.
Green held Giannis Antetokounmpo to 0-for-7 shooting when contesting him during Tuesday’s win by the Golden State Warriors over the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Obviously, if we keep winning and close this year out strong, most definitely,” Green said. “I look around the league and don’t see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do. I don’t see many players completely throwing off an entire team’s offense the way I do. One thousand percent.
“Especially with Wemby [the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama] going down, seemed like he had it won. And now it is right there. So 1 million percent I have a case, and I will continue to build that case for these next 13 games. Tonight was a prime example of that.”
Wembanyama was the heavy favorite for the award until his season-ending blood clot. Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dyson Daniels are considered candidate to win the award.
