There are plenty of reasons to love the Golden State Warriors right now. (I wrote about my personal favorite on Tuesday.) But while plenty of well-deserved praise continues to be lavished on Stephen Curry's ball-handling derring-do, Klay Thompson's career-best 3-point marksmanship and the free-flowing offense that's torching opponents to the tune of 108.7 points per 100 possessions, the league's fourth-best mark, more and more NBA fans and observers are taking notice of the phenomenal contributions being made by Draymond Green.
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Green's not quite a household name, but the third-year forward has gone from intriguing 2012 second-round pick to seemingly indispensable starter on the team with the NBA's best record this season, filling in all the blanks for a Warriors squad that has vaulted into the ranks of real-deal title contenders after a disappointing first-round playoff ouster last spring. As the Dubs' third or fourth option, Green's 12.1 point-per-game scoring average doesn't leap off the page, but he's in strong company as a stat-sheet stuffer — only Green, Tim Duncan. Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap are averaging at least 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal per game this season — and there's a strong argument to be made that his positional versatility and ability to fit seamlessly in just about any lineup combination ranks among the top reasons for Golden State's scintillating start.
The more you watch Green, the more you see what he adds to the Warriors — the communication, the passing-lane disruption, the surprisingly stout post defense, the extra floor spacing, the attitude and swagger — and the more you think that there ought to be an All-Star team for guys like that. Well, what if there was, and it was called the Western Conference All-Star team?
We can say, with some certainty, that the 24-year-old forward's got at least one vote — the #NBAballot belonging to his mother, Mary Babers-Green:
It's always cool when your mom's got your back. (Shouts to moms, especially Moms D.)
Mrs. Babers-Green definitely has a point when it comes to All-Star fan voting, which can often produce rosters heavier on established stars than the most deserving players. As of the second round of ballot returns, Green didn't place in the top 15 among Western frontcourt vote-getters, trailing not only the three players in position for starting spots (Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers and Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies) but also at least a dozen other Western forwards and centers, from the exceedingly deserving (say, DeMarcus Cousins) to the, um, more questionable sort-of celebrity selections (looking at you, Nick Young).
But while the fan ballot's likely a lost cause — barring an epic get-out-the-vote campaign by the Warriors' public relations and social media teams, that is — Green's do-all-the-little-things game would seem to make him just the sort of player who'd earn recognition from the coaches who select the All-Star reserves that fill out the midseason exhibition's rosters. Given the paucity of available slots, though — just three dedicated frontcourt openings along with two backcourt players, plus two more "wild card" spots that can be given to players regardless of position — and the sheer number of other deserving prospective frontcourt candidates (off the top: Boogie, Duncan, Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, maybe Kevin Durant and maybe more) — it could be awfully difficult to find a slot for Green.
In the event he doesn't receive recognition next month, then, let's give him some now. After two years spent coming off the bench under Mark Jackson, a season-opening injury to David Lee led new Warriors head coach Steve Kerr Green to slide Green into the starting five. The Michigan State product has proved a hand-in-glove fit in Golden State's lineup, responding to increased floor time by improving on the per-minute scoring, rebounding, assist-dishing and shot-blocking numbers he turned in as a freshman and sophomore, while also posting career-best field-goal (44.3 percent) and 3-point shooting (34.5 percent) marks.
He's been even more impactful on the other side of the ball, though, using his combination of length, strength and quickness to take on multiple assignments, sharply limiting the production of both opposing small forwards and power forwards and ranking third in the NBA (and tops among non-centers) in ESPN's Defensive Real Plus-Minus metric. The Warriors' meat-grinder D has kept choking out the league even with paint-protecting menace Andrew Bogut sidelined, and Green's capacity to guard multiple positions has been a huge reason why.
While Green's individual numbers might not properly illustrate his influence, collective statistics offer a better view of the bigger picture. With Green on the floor, the Warriors are holding opponents to just 93.6 points-per-100, a significant amount below Golden State's already league-leading mark; when he's sat, the Dubs have given up 101.9 points-per-100, a still-good mark that would put rank just outside the NBA's top 10 defensive units. The Warriors have been 16.8 points per 100 possessions better with Green on the court than off it, the second starkest on-off splits on the Warriors behind only MVP candidate Curry (an absurd +23.8-per-100). You'd be forgiven if you chalked the Warriors' official site's argument that Green might deserve "both the Most Improved and Defensive Player of the Year awards" as in-house hyperbole, but last I checked, Tom Haberstroh is on ESPN.com's payroll, not Golden State's:
According to SportVU data provided to ESPN Insider, Green has defended 38 drives by point guards this season, and those 38 drives have resulted in a measly 15 points, for an average of 0.39 points per drive. The league average on points per drive: 0.63. Also: Among the 18 players who have defended at least 75 post-ups, no one has held their opponent to a lower payoff than Green (0.68 points per post-up). The guy does everything. [...] For defensive player of the year, that's my leader in the clubhouse.
The closer you look, the stronger the case becomes. Green knows, however, that he might not necessarily have the full-throated support of opposing coaching staffs around the league, as he told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News:
“I got into it, like, with every guy my rookie year,” Green said Tuesday, chuckling. “I had enemies on every team my rookie year.
“It was part of the way — I had to make my way, you know? But after everybody knows who you are, they get used to it, they say that’s how he is. Guys respect a hard worker.”
That respect means an awful lot, but as a slew of players told me a couple of years back, the validation that comes with being named an All-Star — with being recognized as part of the league's elite — matters quite a bit, too. For Green's part, though, he's trying not to keep his sights set on bigger prizes, according to Kawakami:
"I don’t get all up into the personal stuff, but [the idea that he merits All-Star consideration is] amazing, man. I mean, it just makes me think about how [far] I’ve come, from being a second-round pick to everybody really saying I couldn’t play in this league. From struggling offensively my rookie year to everybody saying, ‘Well, he’s pretty good defensively, but offensively, we just can’t have him on the court.’
"So I replay all that stuff in my mind and then to see that … I mean, it’s a blessing. It puts a smile on your face because I know how hard I’ve worked. To hear that, just to hear it … I don’t think it’ll happen, but just to hear that is amazing to me."
Amazing, yes, but given just how valuable Green's proven this season, not unbelievable. And if voters and coaches can't see that ... well, Mrs. Babers-Green might have to take a page out of Dwane Casey's book and resort to less friendly methods of getting out the vote. Nobody wants that, right?
Hat-tip to CSN Bay Area.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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