Draymond Green gets a lot of stick for his mediocre stat lines, but Andre Iguodala knows just how great the Golden State Warriors forward actually is. During an appearance on Gil’s Arena, Iguodala explained why Draymond is so important for the Warriors and called him a genius.
“He basically covering up everybody else’s weaknesses,” Iguodala said. “That’s what he’s brilliant at and he knows everything. He’s in tune with the game, he knows everybody’s plays.
“He knows what they come with the first play out of the timeout,” Iguodala continued. “He knows the first play coming out of each quarter and players don’t think like that anymore.
“He’s on another level up there,” Iguodala stated. “And when I sit back and watch it sometimes, I’m like, ‘Listen, y’all can say whatever y’all want to about this man, but it’s like a genius there.”
Draymond certainly has a very high basketball IQ and has played a big role in the four championships that the Warriors have won in the last nine seasons. The 33-year-old is their anchor on defense and operates the offense as the point forward as well.
Green’s game has never been one that you can judge solely on the numbers. He averages 8.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for his career, but his impact has gone well beyond them.
The team realizes that more than anyone else, which is why the Warriors gave Green a four-year, $100 million contract.
Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. Believes Draymond Green Is The Best Player-Defender In The League
An example of just how highly the Warriors rate Green came from Mike Dunleavy Jr., with the Warriors GM saying Draymond is the best player-defender in the league.
It is up for debate if the four-time All-Star is still that good, but Green did make the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in the 2022-23 campaign. It was the eighth time in the last nine seasons that he made one of the All-Defensive teams, a phenomenal feat.
He’ll be looking to do better and make the First Team next season as he aims to help the Warriors get back to the top.
