I’ve covered Draymond Green’s defense in this space before after he had a phenomenal performance against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in November. By early January, Green embarked on a two-plus month hiatus as he battled a back injury. Before that, he was submitting a season that would have led to his second Defensive Player of the Year. There were questions if Green would regain elite form, or if the injury would linger to make him merely great. If Draymond Green was the Master of Defense again, the Golden State Warriors would have a title chance.
The Playoffs
After a slow ramp-up in late March, Draymond showed he was going to bring the elite form into the playoffs. In the first two games of the Warriors series vs the Denver Nuggets, Draymond took it to MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, holding Jokic to inefficient, for Jokic, nights. It was once again a reminder that Draymond has something in his defensive arsenal for almost any situation. Yes, he thrives as a conductor and Swiss army knife defender, it’s where he’s at his best. But, Green can also bring it in a 1 on 1 scenario, see the Durant game above.
In-game three, Draymond had a much tougher battle with Jokic, as the MVP showed why he is on the shortlist for best players in the league. Green was getting a little more bullied, not quite able to hold position while also playing undisciplined in the foul department. With 3:58 left in the fourth quarter, Draymond picked up his 5th foul, putting the Warriors in a dangerous position should Green pick up his 6th foul with Jokic cooking.
What commenced was Draymond maneuvering around the court so he could cover Jokic, but not be stuck on him full-time, which would put him at greater risk of picking up that last foul. Green was able to affect both Jokic and the game while ensuring that he could stay on the court for the closing stretch in a tight game. It’s the little things like this that help makes him an all-time defender. He matches smarts with great instincts, leverage, and some freakish measurables.
The Master Play
On the game-deciding possession, the Nuggets were down 116-111. With a shade under 40 seconds left when Jokic received the entry pass ready to go to work. The Joker was posted up at the wing, matched up against Draymond, ready to give the Nuggets one last shot. Green dug in, using his low center of gravity to slow Jokic down as he tried to back down. From here, Draymond used one of those freakish measurables, his 7’3” wingspan, to poke the unprotected ball away from Jokic. This exquisite play sealed the win for the Warriors.
felony larceny pic.twitter.com/saSXxMnykh
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 22, 2022
It was a microcosm of why Green is widely considered the best defender of the past eight years. He figures out what is needed on game-deciding possessions, even after struggling, to finish games on the defensive end. Very rarely have we seen a player that can consistently end games on the defensive end. But, when you’re talking about a legend at his craft, that is just par for the course.
Draymond on his clutch steal against Joker: “When the money on the line, I don’t like when people go at me for all the marbles” pic.twitter.com/KTiG77wAge
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 22, 2022
For more basketball coverage from Belly Up Sports, tap into our social media handles on Twitter and Instagram. Read additional coverage at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter.
