The elite players throughout NBA history are legends because they were able to do things no one else could do. Magic Johnson's vision at his size. Michael Jordan's incomparable will and shot-making. Stephen Curry's ability to shoot off the dribble at percentages never before believed possible. Dennis Rodman's uncanny ability to always find the ball. Shaquille O'Neal's physical dominance.
To be among the best to ever do something in the NBA, it has to be built upon something that sets you apart, not just a precision, but a specific combination of style and play that defines you as an all-time great.
Draymond Green is in the process of making his case as one of the all-time best defenders in NBA history.
It's supremely easy to call that an overreaction or a hot take in the aftermath of the Warriors' 121-109 victory Sunday over Portland, especially considering the fact that the Blazers had a 109.9 offensive rating per 100 possessions headed into the fourth quarter, and were tied with the mighty Dubs. But sometimes great defensive games come against incredible offensive onslaughts, and that was the case here. The Golden State Warriors, despite Kevin Durant's 32 points and Curry's 29, would have lost Game 1 had it not been for Green, and what, specifically, he does for Golden State defensively.
Green's highlight plays were the kinds of sequences that set arenas on fire and cause bars full of people to shout out loud and slam their hands on the bartop.
Those are one-on-one plays -- the type that make highlight reels and make it easy for analysts to sing his praises. It's all the other possessions, though, where Green is so impactful, and in that he is capable of guarding, frustrating, shutting down every single player on the floor, no matter the matchup.
CJ McCollum got loose in the first half for 27 incredible points, and yet when he ran pick and roll which allowed Green to switch onto him, Green snuffed him which helped result in a turnover:
After the game, Green described himself to ABC's Lisa Salters as the ultimate help man. And that's accurate. Green plays free safety and he took it to extremes to help get the Warriors' defense back where it needed to be. Green completely -- and I mean 100 percent totally -- leaves his man to help here. The key in this situation is you have to have the instincts to know when you can do this and recover, and that you have to commit totally, and effectively to make sure that your man doesn't cut to the rim for a dunk. Green trusts his help, knows he can disrupt the pass baseline, and knows if he has to, he can recover. Almost no other player in the league can do that.
If you're going to help like that, you had better know when you can. Green doesn't commit until he's certain the diver is committed to a shot here. There's no risk of a pass to Green's man for a dunk:
Green said after the game that the Warriors sent multiple defenders at Lillard and McCollum to slow them down, and that one repercussion of that was that it makes it harder for those smaller guards to see him. Here, again, Draymond totally abandons his man, but with 7-foot Durant shadowing and pestering him, Lillard can't get his head up to see Green, or Green's open man.
Green finished with six deflections, which tied Giannis Antetokounmpo for the most in Game 1's this weekend. He was two steals away from finishing with a 5-by-5, with 19 points, 12 boards, nine assists, three steals, and five blocks in Golden State's win.
Green has always been the emotional heartbeat of this team, and that separates him from other legendary defenders. Only four players have ever put up a 15-10-5-3-5 line in NBA playoff history, and none with nine assists. Green is at once the Warriors' emotional spark-plug and their safety blanket. He is their catalyst for what sets their schemes and the tip of the spear for their defensive attack. There is, literally, nothing more you could ask Green to do defensively.
Green's also already verified. He's won a title, he's anchored the best defense in the league, a top-10 unit three times in a row. He's likely to secure his first Defensive Player of the Year award this summer. And games like this one, in a not-particularly-impressive effort from the Warriors defensively, only serve to further highlight how crucial he is for what Golden State must do defensively.
There are legendary players throughout the league's history. Bill Russell, Scottie Pippen, Rodman, Ben Wallace, Dikembe Mutombo. Green's versatility rivals, and may even exceed Pippen's. We're watching not one of the best defenders in the league, but one of the best defenders we've ever seen.
Durant and Curry get the headlines, and rightfully so. But Green's play sets him a level above just like they do. There's no one quite like him, and he deserves just as much credit as he continues to make his legend greater with every playoff win for this legendary Warriors team.
