“I’m not sure I would have been able to guard Shaquille O’Neal” – Draymond Green believes he would have struggled in the NBA 25 years ago
In the modern NBA, Draymond Green is seen as one of the best defenders in the league. However, in a recent Q&A with the NBA, Green was asked how he would fare in the NBA 25 years ago, and he was candid.
Green entered the league in 2012, drafted by the Golden State Warriors mainly due to what he could do on the defensive end. He was drafted in the second round as an older big out of Michigan State, but his smarts and basketball IQ quickly got him a role on the Warriors.
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Green has won one Defensive Player of the Year Award in his first nine seasons, been selected for six All-Defensive teams and has won three NBA Finals, appearing in five. A big part of what has helped him become such a great defender is playing the small-ball center, allowing his teammates to play with a pace that, in the past, other teams could not match.
NBA teams have copied what the Warriors have done with Green, which has effectively changed the NBA to a space and outside shooting game, allowing teams to get smaller. However, 25 years ago, that was not the case. NBA centers, and even power forwards, were massive and played the role of bruisers in the paint.
When Draymond Green was asked how he would manage playing in the NBA 25 years ago, his response was honest. He said:
“I like to think I would be – just for the fact that I guard the post, I guard the ball – I like to think I’d have found a way. But having said that, I’m not sure I would have been able to guard Shaquille O’Neal. I’m not sure I would have been able to guard Hakeem Olajuwon.
I’m not crazy enough to begin to say, ‘Yeah, I could have stopped Shaq.’ But if I couldn’t, I guess I fit into a category with a bunch of other people.”
Both Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon stood over 7-feet tall, and with Green standing at just 6-foot-6, it would have been a tough matchup for him. Green is right, though: When those two players were at their peak, pretty much no one could guard them anyway, so there is no shame in that for Green.
Who would Draymond Green be if he played 25 years ago?
Draymond Green has revolutionized the modern NBA, but 25 years ago, he might have just been a regular small power forward, most likely a small forward. He would have still probably been a key defensive player, but he might have stayed more on the perimeter because of his size.
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16 Points
11 Rebounds
10 Assists
2 Steals
2 Blocks
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Green’s scoring numbers are not eye-catching, averaging 8.8 points for his career, but his ability to create would be something teams of that time would find helpful. Green has averaged 5.4 assists per game in his career, including this season, and he has averaged more than seven assists five times.
There might be a dropoff because many of his assists go to Stephen Curry in hand-off 3-pointers, but Green has displayed an ability to run an offense. He would have at least had a role as a creator, but maybe not so much as he has now.
Twenty-five years ago, Draymond Green would have been a much different player. Green is so special, because he plays with the toughness of players from the past, which means he could have made it work. However, in today's NBA, he changed the style of play, which should make NBA fans happy he plays in the modern NBA.