Draymond Green is the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, but he’s OK with ceding his title to someone else as long as that person happens to be teammate Kevin Durant.
The Golden State Warriors big man gave a hearty endorsement to the candidacy of Durant, who has had a strong season on both ends of the floor. With Stephen Curry out most of December, the Warriors have remained steady in the West, and a lot of that has to do with how much Durant has stepped up on defense.
According to the East Bay Times, Green had high praise for Durant’s play on the defensive end of the floor and how he’s stepped up with Curry out of the lineup.
“A lot of times people forget who Kevin Durant is and what he’s capable of. It’s no surprise to me that the things he’s been doing with Steph out,” Green told Mark Medina. “He’ll continue to do great things. It hasn’t shocked me one bit with the things he’s been able to do.”
When asked about the race for this year’s award, Green said it wasn’t even close.
“I don’t think it’s really a race right now with the way he’s playing on the defensive side of the ball. It’s been spectacular,” Green said. “It’s a thing now. That is impressive. It didn’t seem possible for it to be a thing. But he’s getting more attention for that. If I had a vote, I’d vote for him right now.”
The superlatives about Durant really haven’t stopped during this stretch, with Klay Thompson’s father, Mychal Thompson, said Durant “looks like Bill Russell on defense” on Twitter. Those voices may be a bit biased, of course, but it’s high praise for a player having an impressive season nonetheless.
