One of Draymond Green’s best performances of the season came on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Looking explosive, dribbling effectively, and putting up impressive numbers, Golden State Warriors star made a strong case for himself as a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is also among the frontrunners for the honor.
The Warriors, who have been fighting through adversity without Jimmy Butler, have been on a strong comeback. With playoff aspirations now firmly in sight, the team aims to contend for the championship after a couple of seasons without a real title shot. Green’s performance against the Bucks serves as a key indicator of the team’s readiness for the challenges ahead.
Following the game, Green spoke with the media about his standout performance and issued a message regarding this year’s DPOY race. “I think we’re close to that if we keep winning. When I look around the league, I don’t see many players defending like I do,” Green said.
He continued, “I don’t see players completely disrupting an entire offense the way I can. One million percent, I have a case for that award, and I’ll continue to build on it.”
Green’s message to Wemby
With the DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) race heating up this season, Green acknowledged that Victor Wembanyama is one of the top contenders in that conversation. As a result, Green shared a message about his own aspirations for the award and his mindset moving forward.
“Especially with Wemby going down, it seemed like he had it won. Now it’s right there,” Green said. “Tonight was a prime example of me fighting for that case, and I’ll continue this way in the next 13 games.”
With this statement, Green is making it clear to fans and the media that he’s determined to prove his worth, particularly for the Warriors, who are in desperate need of another championship after recent struggles to compete at the highest level.
Butler’s thoughts on Green’s defense against the Bucks
Green’s performance on defense didn’t go unnoticed, especially by his teammate Jimmy Butler, who spoke highly of Green’s effort against Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday night. With several blocks and rebounds, Green was the talk of the game.
“He (Draymond) is always like that. Not just Giannis. He doesn’t give a damn who he’s going up against. If he’s going up against a 5-year-old, he would hate for that individual to score on him. And he wouldn’t want anybody helping him,” Butler remarked about Green’s tenacity.