Draymond Green makes bold claim about Defensive Player of the Year race

Draymond Green does not lack for confidence or humility. As the Warriors continue to fight for a spot in the playoffs, Green is reminding everyone about his defensive chops.

It’s been a tough season for the Warriors as they integrate several new faces and navigate life without Klay Thompson. They haven’t been playing up to their usual standards in the standings but Stephen Curry is having an incredible season and Draymond Green is doing his thing at both ends of the floor.

As they continue to fight for every win, Draymond is using some trash talk to continue building up his team. Asked recently about the state of the team he took the opportunity to clarify how he sees the Defensive Player of the Year race (per Drew Shiller):

“We gotta win more games. We win more games, climb the standings, I think there’s no question that I’ll be Defensive Player of the Year. There’s no defender better than me. So there you have it.”

Is Draymond Green just blowing smoke about his Defensive Player of the Year chances?

Obviously, Draymond Green is a strong defender (with an elite reputation) and the player who thrives on confidence but the idea that there’s “no question” is more than a little hyperbolic. Team defensive performance is always a big part of the equation. The Warriors rank seventh in defensive efficiency, well outside the elite tier — the gap between them and top-ranked Los Angeles Lakers is the same as the difference between the Warriors and the 26th-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves.

Vegas currently gives Green the sixth-best odds of winning Defensive Player of the Year, tied with Anthony Davis and behind Rudy Gobert (the front-runner), Ben Simmons (the dark horse), Myles Turner, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Green might be right, he might win. But as usual, there’s a bit more smoke than fire in his rhetoric.