Draymond Green matures into max player with NBA-best Warriors
He did not win the Defensive Player of the Year award - he finished second among vote-getters.
He did not win the Most Improved Player of the Year award - again, he finished second.
Although he was named to the All-Defensive First Team, Draymond Green has gone about his business without a lot of hardware to validate his contributions to this year's impressive Golden State Warriors squad. In spite of the lack of individual accolades, Green is just four wins away from hoisting the most coveted award of them all - the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Watching Green play is like watching a bull in a China shop ... if the bull was capable of posting triple-doubles, and if the China shop was a 94-by-50 hardwood floor. With his third pro season almost behind him, there's no doubt the 25-year-old's game has matured to a point that will earn him a handsome paycheck this summer, and a few endorsements to boot.
The league's Most Versatile Player was born in Saginaw, Mich. The forward played four years at Michigan State and left the Spartans having averaged 16.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in his senior year.
Amazingly, after a heavily decorated collegiate career - Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year (2010), First Team All-Big Ten (2012), Big Ten All-Defensive Team (2012), Big Ten Player of the Year (2012), First Team All-American (2012) and NABC National Player of the Year (2012) - Green fell to the second round of the 2012 draft and was selected with the Dubs' No. 35 pick. He was 25 draft slots away from going undrafted altogether.
Affectionately nicknamed Dancing Bear for his portly physique and quick feet, Green didn't get significant playing time during his first two seasons. However, he quickly established himself as a tough defender and borderline irritant under former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson.
His numbers in his rookie and sophomore seasons didn't jump off the stat sheet, but he earned the respect of his coaches, teammates and peers. So, when first-year head coach Steve Kerr arrived in the Bay Area last summer, equipped with different schemes and a new vision of how to use the dynamic forward, Green was poised to take his game to the next level.
| Season | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | 13.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 7.1 |
| 2013-14 | 21.9 | 6.2 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 12.7 |
| 2014-15 | 31.5 | 11.7 | 8.2 | 3.7 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 16.4 |
To put his three-year statistical improvement into perspective, Green's increased productivity (win shares) through three seasons is superior to these current and former superstars: Glen Rice, Rashard Lewis, Zach Randolph and Chris Webber.
His Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) rating is 4.4, which was ninth in the NBA. VORP measures how much more productive a player is than the person who would have played in their place. This means only eight players in the entire league were statistically proven to be more productive than Green. In layman's terms: "Don't sub me off, coach!"
At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Green is mobile and strong enough to defend bigger guards and most power forwards. His versatility has put him at the top of a variety of regular-season categories:
- 17th in 2-point field-goal percentage (.523)
- 16th in total steals (123)
- 11th in total defensive rebounds (533)
- 4th in defensive rating (97.2)
- 2nd in defensive win shares (5.2)
Green's efficiency and wide array of talents have put him in an enviable position - he'll be a highly sought-after restricted free agent this offseason. With his game having matured dramatically throughout the season, it would behoove the Warriors to offer Green a max deal at 12:01 am July 1.