Draymond Green ranks among the best defensive players in NBA history with numerous accolades throughout his career.
He won Defensive Player of the Year once and served as a key component of the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
Draymond Green earned four All-Star selections, two All-NBA honors, and nine All-Defensive Team selections, including last season.
His defensive excellence anchored one of the most successful runs in modern basketball history.
However, individual recognition from the NBA community often overlooks Green’s contributions. Ex player Kenyon Martin recently even said that there are 200 players better than Green.
Green rarely appears in high-ranking individual player discussions due to his statistical production, having recorded double-digit scoring averages only four times during his career.
NBA legend Dwyane Wade defended Green against critics who diminish his legacy based on individual metrics.
Wade believes evaluating Green through an individual lens misses the point of his basketball impact.
“Draymond Green’s career would not be talked about as an individual player. It would be talked about him as a winner, as a team player, as a leader, all these things,” Wade explained.
The Hall of Fame guard emphasized that Green’s mentality doesn’t align with individual achievement focus, making traditional ranking discussions irrelevant to his actual value.
“If you’re a Draymond fan, you can’t care about what Draymond is ranked as an individual player because he doesn’t go out with that individual mentality,” Wade added.
Within the Warriors’ championship system, Green serves as the primary facilitator who ensures offensive execution.
His role involves creating opportunities for Stephen Curry and maintaining team chemistry rather than pursuing individual statistics.
Wade contrasted Green’s approach with players like Kobe Bryant, who exemplified individual excellence within team success.
“My team’s going to win and we’re gonna try to win championships, but individually, I’m going at you. That’s Kobe Bryant. Individually, he’s going at you. He’s not letting you off the hook. I’m individually better than you and I’mma show you,” Wade explained.
“Draymond doesn’t go out with that mentality. That’s not the way he played the game of basketball. So if you want to argue about him in the individual rankings, you just want to argue. That’s just dumb,” Wade concluded.
Green’s 13-season career with the Warriors averages of 8.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 6.9 rebounds don’t capture his true impact on winning basketball.
His defensive statistics of 1.0 blocks and 1.3 steals per game better represent his contributions.
These numbers aren’t spectacular by traditional standards, but watching Green play reveals value that transcends statistical production.
Also like Wade said, Green’s basketball IQ, leadership, and defensive versatility create winning environments that numbers cannot quantify.
