Love him or hate him, not even his biggest detractor can deny that Draymond Greenis one of the best and most impactful defenders in NBA history. At his peak, he can guard one through five and be a difference-maker.
More than that, Green has an elite basketball IQ. He can see right through an offense or a defense and has proven to be a master when it comes to the Xs and Os.
That’s why the Golden State Warriors star is a voice to be heard when he talks about other players, and the recently tipped his hat to San Antonio Spurs rookie, Victor Wembanyama.
Draymond Green Is Happy He Won’t Have To Deal With Victor Wembanyama For Much Longer
Green gave the reigning No. 1 pick the ultimate compliment, pretty much stating that he’s glad he won’t have to deal with him for much longer, and wishing the rest of the league good luck against him:
“He’s a very, very, very, very, very special talent. I’m happy I got the opportunity to play against him now because they’ll have to deal with him a lot later, and I won’t be in the league no more, so that’s good for me,” Green said.
Wembanyama Proved Green Wrong
Notably, that’s not how he felt about him earlier in his career. In his appearance on Paul George’s Podcast-P in the offseason, Green didn’t seem to be too fazed by the Frenchman:
“You not just dribbling through me like the Harlem Globetrotters, I’m sorry”, Green said. “With a guy like that, you gotta do your work early. I‘m crowding him from the time he starts running down the court. When they get the rebound and they start coming I’m crowding because I can’t let him get to a space where he’s comfortable. If you do that against talents like that, ain’t anything you can do to stop that. So, for me, I’m all the way pressed up into him.”
It’s pretty safe to say that Green has changed his mind on Wembanyama, and while some fans might be bummed out to see that he doesn’t have much left in the tank, at least he gave the No. 1 pick his stamp of approval before walking away.
SURVEY Will Wembanyama be the best player in the league?
Will Wembanyama be the best player in the league?
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