Warriors' Draymond Green: 'I'm one of the best players in the NBA'
This should not be a controversial statement
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1 min read
Draymond Green, the engine of the Golden State Warriors, told ESPN's Chris Haynes that he thinks he's one of the best players in the NBA. And no, he doesn't see anything wrong with saying that while averaging 10.9 points.
"I think I'm one of the best players in the NBA," Green said to ESPN. "Am I going to go out and score 30 every night? Absolutely not. But I didn't say I was one of the best scorers. I think I'm one of the best players, and I think anybody should believe that. I think if you don't believe that, you're failing yourself, and you're not allowing yourself to be that ... But I don't say that in a sense of, 'Oh, I'm one of the best. I'm better than Steph, I'm better than KD.' Like, that isn't me. When I just look at the game, that's how I feel.
"But the things that I do are more self-gratifying than anything. I don't do something to say, 'Man, I wonder if they saw that screen I just set. I wonder if they saw what I just did to help him get that bucket.' I don't do that, but I'll run down the court feeling amazing about it. That's just kind of how I am."
Two thoughts:
- Some people will see the headline and think Green is being arrogant. If you're in that category, I urge you to read the full story, where Green says he's not worried about making the All-Star team and he is more than willing to sacrifice stats for a better chance at winning a title. Green's argument is that he can affect the game as much as a traditional star player by doing all the little things and helping his teammates score. It's difficult to disagree with him.
- We're way past the point where Green's value needs to be a subject of debate. He rightfully made the All-Star team and second-team All-NBA last year, and he was an obvious choice for Team USA in the summer. For two straight seasons, he was the runner-up to Kawhi Leonard for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Green's touches are down now that Kevin Durant is around, and his shooting has suffered, but this does not change what kind of player he is. Clearly, it does not change his confidence level, either.
