Both these guys find themselves in very similar situations. Best defenders in the league and perfect pieces on the most stacked team in the league. Not players who can do it themselves on offense, but their court vision and ability to pass is what makes a good team great. Draymond doesn't have a fro like the overrated ben wallace, and he isn't statuesque like past defensive greats [IN fact, he resembles a hyena more than anything else] so the media struggles to lay out what he does, but he is the engine behind the Warriors. Take it to Church.
Best power forward in the NBA right now. First player you'd pick to pair with any superstar. You replace Dwight Howard with Draymond Green and rockets are a top 5 seed with a good defense. What impresses me is not the ridiculous skill from a big man. It's the heart, leadership, determination to win, laying it all on the line attitude. He's the emotional and vocal leader of a 50-5 team.
The way he integrates into the offense isnt mentioned by anyone really. Divac and webber got all kinds of accolades in Sacramento for their court vision. It's great to see casual fans like Deckard struggle to come to grios with whats right in front of them. The last decade has shown being a superstar is how you're marketed, not what you do on the court. After a few years, reality catches up to the media and casual fans get shocked at ceetain "overnight" successes. But draymond absolutely is the reason the Warriors can dominate with their system. The shooters get all the credit, but they'd be the 2005 suns at best without him. Look how Joe johnson stunk it up after he left an ideal system - that's what you'd see with the GS shooters
I agree, if you watch the games they play without green, it's really obvious they aren't -that- good. Probably as good as okc or lac, but nowhere near 50-5. Kerr in this link says it himself. http://www.sbnation.com/2016/2/16/10987022/draymond-green-warriors-nba-unexpected-star The system was built around green. The Warriors got really good because green started playing big minutes while Kerr gets all the credit for putting him there. They're lethal because the guy setting the pick for steph is probably the best passer on that team. It's ridiculous.
Straight up, a lot of people hate green but he's the only reason I'm a warriors fan right now, probably my favorite player in the NBA. Just love the guy. Wish we had someone like him. I'm a green only fan and proud of it.
Not saying I agree with the Bill Russell comparison, but Green is the most underrated player in basketball, IMO.
Do you mean by gs shooters the splash bros? I'm sorry but what would u see when a guy can pull up from 30ft on a whim and hits at >40%? At other times he would just haul it up any time with any room, and before you can react its already on the way down the net, even if two guys are already all over him? Oh and btw he can also dance around with the the ball and sneak in for a 65% layup at will. Ok, Thompson, who's capable of 37 in a qtr, can explode any time... So... Who other these GS shooters you're talking about?
Green isn't as good as Russell, obviously, but it's really not the same as that comparison. Green is a transformative superstar of this era...people struggle with that because he's completely different from nearly every other superstar before him. If he at least averaged 20 PPG, people would say, "Oh yeah, he's a superstar...the new Scottie Pippen." Green doesn't score 20 a game, but he's probably the most versatile defender who ever lived. Pippen could guard 1-4, Green can guard 1-5. And Green can get you 15-20 on nights when the team needs someone else to step up.
Not taking anything away from Draymond, but I'm pretty sure Pippen could guard the 5 as well, but that was never a necessity in his playing days. In todays game, he could 100% guard the 5. Pippen, Rodman, MJ, and maybe even Ron Harper could have guarded today's 5's.
You guys are absurd. Draymond Green is a system player that plays in a system fit for his style of play. Yes he may be part of the engine that makes the team go but still he's more of a utility guy (which every good team needs) than a superstar/allstar player. For all those guys comparing him to Bill Russell/Ben Wallace/etc, please name me one thing he does that is elite and above everyone else in the NBA? The only thing I can say he does that no one else has ever done is yelling back at officials at not getting T'd up. I have never seen anyone else in the league (past and present) cry or scream at an official so much and not get a tech. It's like they allow him to open his shark-like mouth because they are scared he would retaliate at them. To claim this: "First player you'd pick to pair with any superstar." Uh - no I would pick another superstar LeBron James perhaps? Hell I think Boris Diaw in his prime would be putting up the same numbers as Green if he played on the Warriors. Just like Diaw if you take him off the Spurs they become human again and slightly below average. There's a reason why he was drafted in the 2nd round! I can't wait until Green plays for another team to see how he would respond. I guarantee it won't be as good as it is now and comparing him to HOFers is downright disrespectful.
On a switch, Pippen could have faked it for a short time. There's no way he could have sustained it for a long period of time. Yeah, I think that's silly, but I'd be pretty amused to watch MJ or Harper guard DeAndre Jordan for a full game. Not like D. Jordan is Shaq, but Jordan would have gone for 40 just on lobs from Chris Paul against either guy. Rodman is probably the closest thing, defensively, to Green. Another superstar who didn't put up big scoring numbers (though Green is a far more talented offensive player than Rodman).
Total system player. A power forward who can rebound, defend five positions, handle like a wing, pass like a guard and shoot three-pointers at a high clip wouldn't fit on any other team.
