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2017 NBA Playoff awards race: Kawhi Leonard is certainly a robot

By John Buhler

San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets in game five of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets in game five of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 22, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive Player of the Playoffs: Draymond Green

We all need to do ourselves a collective favor and stop believing that Draymond Green is a replicable basketball specimen. The dude is a trash-talking, small-ball, defensive dynamo unicorn. So he’s basically a rhinoceros on the floor for the Warriors? Yes, it would seem to be so.

Green will likely end up winning his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year for his stellar work on the hardwood in 2016-17. His one-of-a-kind defensive abilities have not waned in the 2017 NBA Playoffs. One could argue that they have been amplified and he’s just getting started on that end of the floor.

Green is crushing the opposition. The Warriors’ power forward is responsible for a postseason-best 0.9 Defensive Win Shares. His Defensive Box-Plus Minus is at a ridiculous 5.7. That should only go up as he plays more playoff games.

With a Box Plus-Minus of 12.8 and a Value Over Replacement Player of 1.1, Green could very well end up being the MVP of the 2017 NBA Finals should Golden State come out on top. He’ll need to have a game of two in the Finals where he goes bonkers offensively, but his strong defensive play has been the most impressive thing about the Warriors in the playoffs thus far.

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