WS Chronicle

OK, let me start off by saying this is not an article that is about bashing Draymond Green. I just want to give my perspective on Green’s career thus far, mostly because I read he was upset he did not make the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team that listed the league’s top 75 players of all time. Yeah, I know, it’s funny, right?

Green was recently on an episode of JJ Redick’s podcast “The Old Man and The Three.” On the show, Green shared his thoughts about why he wasn’t a part of the list of the league’s 75 greatest players. He feels that because he was suspended in the 2016 NBA Finals for one game, he missed out on winning another title and possibly a Finals MVP award.

“The one thing, when I look back on it, that bothers me is I would’ve been the Finals MVP,” said Green. “And that totally changes the narrative. Good luck leaving me off the NBA 75 if I was Finals MVP. Good luck even having a debate if I’m a hall of famer or not, if I was Finals MVP.

“When I look back on that from a selfish standpoint, which I rarely do, I would have been Finals MVP and that changes the course of everything,” Green continued.

What Green was referencing was his suspension in Game 5 of the Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers for kicking LeBron James in the groin area. Let’s not forget that the Warriors were up 3-1 at that point and went on to lose the series. That was the first time in NBA history that a team lost a Finals series while up 3-1. 

Green had good numbers during that series, averaging 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. He would have been in consideration for MVP, but if the Warriors did win, I feel that Stephen Curry would have probably won MVP, in my opinion.

As I previously stated, this is not an article to bash Green because I do feel he is a good player and borderline all-star with the right pieces around him. He has put together an impressive resume so far in his career by collecting some individual accolades. He is a three-time champion, Defensive Player of the Year, and is a four-time All-Star.

But let’s break down what he said on the podcast a little bit. I think even with a Finals MVP award, Green is not a top 75 player. There have been several good NBA players that have won Finals MVP that were not on the list. Players such as Joe Dumars, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker, and even his teammate Andre Iguodala have been named Finals MVP and none of them made the list either.

Green is on par or below some of the above-mentioned players because to be honest, I think Dumars is on the same level as Green, but Parker was a much better player in my opinion. 

There were other guys even more deserving than Green that were left off the 75th Anniversary Team. Guys like Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Adrian Dantley, Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo and Dwight Howard were all left off. ALL of the players I just named were better players than Green, had better careers, and made more of an impact on the game.

After his top 75 comment, Green then says it would have been hard to debate whether he is a hall of famer or not. Am I watching the same game as everyone else? To me, Green is not a hall of fame player as of yet. Just take a look at his career averages; 8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Come on now, how many hall of fame players have you seen with those types of career averages?

I know the game is not all about numbers and stats. Also Green brings many intangibles to the team that no one else has, but that doesn’t make him a hall of fame player. The hall of fame is supposed to be the best of the best and if that’s the case then Green doesn’t fit the bill. 

Green is definitely valuable to the Golden State Warriors. He plays a specific role for that team that works for them. But we saw that Draymond is dependent on better players being on the floor with him to be effective. While Curry and Thompson were hurt, Green showed that he could not be the main guy on a team.

To me, to be considered one of the top 75 players of all time, you can’t be totally dependent on other players in order for you to make an impact on a game and Green definitely is. Let’s be real, if Green was drafted by any other team in the league, I doubt if he has any All-Star appearances and would probably be a role player coming off of the bench. A top 75 player can be the centerpiece player on any team that he goes to and that sure doesn’t describe Draymond.

I just think that Green is a bit overrated by not only himself, but others in the media as well. I think he fell into the perfect situation with the Warriors that fit his skill set the best. But if we are being honest with ourselves, Green is not better than anyone that made the 75th Anniversary Team.

And for anyone who feels he is a sure-fire hall of famer, I am ready for that discussion as well.