Draymond Green and Kawhi Leonard are ready to resume their DPOY battles

Draymond Green thinks he’s in a class of his own defensively, but he’s still got mad respect for Kawhi Leonard.

Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors are going for a three-peat this year, and they seem poised to do it after an offseason where they added DeMarcus Cousins to the team. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James again; the Houston Rockets let their two most versatile defenders go; and, the San Antonio Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.

All those changes in the landscape combined with the Warriors’ health and continuity make them a clear favorite to win it all again.

But the Raptors will be an interesting test study, because the Eastern Conference is open for the taking right now and Leonard looks ready to shine.

Part of what makes the Warriors special (other than their otherworldly shooting) is their defensive switchability, and Green is the lynchpin and main communicator on that end of the court. Last season, he only finished sixth in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting, though, and wasn’t happy about it. Green believes that there is only one other player who voters should even consider, and that man is Leonard.

“I got much respect for him,” Green said to Yahoo Sports. “But I think I’m the best. If you want my honest opinion, there’s no one in the [contemporary] category with me but Kawhi.”

It must be noted that if Draymond wins his second DPOY this season, then he’ll be eligible for a super-max contract. Green says that he has never played the game for money, though, and he’s one of the only players in the league who you might believe on that front.

The Warriors have had a busy month. Stephen Curry dropped 51 against the Washington Wizards, and Klay Thompson set an NBA record for 3-pointers in a game while wearing a Jackie Moon headband. Also, they managed to burn Fergie’s anthem performance a second time.

Leonard is definitely going to be in consideration for DPOY again, because he is putting up MVP numbers right now for the 7-1 Raptors. His 27.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game are nothing to sneeze at. Green’s resume isn’t as shiny statistically, but he does lead the 7-1 Warriors with 8.1 assists per game and 2.3 steals per game.

It should be a Defensive Player of the Year race that comes down to the wire, and the tie probably goes to the player whose team has the better record. You can be sure Green will have something to say about it either way.