The two-way flexibility of Warriors forward Draymond Green is one of the most indispensable components of the team’s continued demolition derby over the rest of the NBA. None of that is lost on Warriors executive Jerry West.
In an interview with KNBR 680-AM on Wednesday, The Logo heaped the praise on the fourth-year Michigan State product.
“We have two of the Top 10 players in the league: Draymond Green is the second one,” said West in reference to reigning league MVP Stephen Curry per Rusty Simmons of SFGate. “He’s the most underrated player in the NBA, period. There are very few players I think anyone in our organization would trade for him. He’s just a remarkable player.
“If he’s not a top-10 player in this league, I don’t know who is,” declared the 77-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer.
For West, who has certainly seen his fair share of cross-generational talents to say the least, the commendation does not come without merit.
Green is a first-rate defender, both on the perimeter and in the post, and his ability to guard 1 through 5 on the floor, switch all pick-and-rolls, and serve as the nominal center in that small-ball lineup of death that has been steamrolling dudes right off the court is crucial to the team’s success.
On offense, the 25-year-old has developed into a tremendous floor spacer, shooting 43.5 percent from distance this year, and he can also function as the team’s rim runner, if necessary. Green does a phenomenal job of attacking the 4-on-3 situations that arise in the halfcourt when defenses double-team Curry, and he is currently leading the team in both assists and rebounds per game.
Still, it’s difficult to consider Green a no-brainer top-10 player in the NBA today, especially given how the current talent pool is arguably deeper now than it has been at any point in the NBA season. The former No. 35 overall pick has a hard time creating his own shot and would probably struggle as the primary offensive option on a different team.
Personally, I would rank (in some order) Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, DeMarcus Cousins, and Kawhi Leonard as my top-10 ahead of Green without even thinking. I would have to give the nod to guys like John Wall, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Marc Gasol over Dray as well.
But nevertheless, Green is clearly locked in as a top-20 talent in the league today, and if we filter for a smidgen of hometown bias from West, the 14-time NBA All-Star, his estimation isn’t far off at all. And with that kind of praise from a true basketball legend on top of what Green and the currently 16-0 Warriors could ostensibly accomplish this season (his first All-Star selection, his first All-NBA appearance, a repeat selection to the All-Defensive First Team, and most importantly, a successful NBA title defense), I’m sure he’ll take it.
H/T NBA Reddit
