Why Draymond thinks he presents unique case for Hall of Fame originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Draymond Green is a four-time NBA champion, four-time All-Star, a seven-time member of the All-Defensive team and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
But is the Warriors’ veteran forward a future Hall of Famer? He’d like to think so.
“I think I’ll — and I hope I’ll — be in the Hall of Fame,” Green told The Athletic’s David Aldridge earlier this week in Washington D.C. “But my route won’t be the typical route. You won’t go and look at my stats and say, ‘This guy’s a surefire Hall of Famer.’ But if you know the game of basketball, and you look at the game of basketball, then I think I have a case.
“That’s kind of how I look at it. No, my path to the Hall of Fame won’t be the typical path guys take to the Hall of Fame. And I still have work to do and continue to build, but I think I can make a solid case.”
Whether Green will be a Hall of Famer or not has been an ongoing debate over the years, but this latest discussion was brought up after a back-and-forth exchange with Wizards fans in Washington D.C. on Monday.
Green said the hecklers were babbling at him the entire game, yelling things like, “Draymond, you scared,” before ultimately bringing up the Hall of Fame.
“The Hall of Fame thing, you can say what you want,” Green said. “The way I thought about the Hall of Fame thing was if you come to this game, and you immediately set out speaking to me about being a Hall of Famer, you probably believe I’m a Hall of Famer.”
The 32-year-old proceeded to let his actions do the talking. He finished with a 17-point double-double on an efficient 71.4 shooting from the field and made two of his three 3-point attempts. He also had six rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in the Warriors’ 127-118 win.
While the impressive shooting night was tied for the second-best scoring performance from Green this season, who’s averaging 7.9 points in 40 games so far, we know that’s not where he excels most.
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Typically, it’s on the other side of the floor. Green’s defensive IQ is one of the best the league has ever seen. His impact on defense is so prominent and can make opposing team’s lives an absolute living hell. It’s why Warriors coach Steve Kerr has referred to Green as the “smartest defensive player” he’s ever seen.
While Green’s efforts might not stand out on a stat sheet, his impact on the game is immeasurable.
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