"It doesn't get under my skin" - Draymond Green unbothered by prevailing narrative around his role at the Golden State Warriors
Few players have been as polarizing as the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green over the past few NBA seasons. From his on-court antics to off-court soundbites, Green beats to his own drum and has never allowed anyone to change this.
The four-time NBA Champion recently joined the #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Chris Hayes and Marc Stein where he put more fuel on the fire of not caring what others think. Green addressed criticisms of him not playing a significant role in the team as he is often overshadowed by his superstar teammates. As he put it:
"I do have an understanding of how misguided they're and how much they don't understand. But quite frankly another reason why it doesn't get under my skin is because there's not really many guys in the league, if any, that can say with any merit or say that with confidence that they've done something to outdo me in this league, or to have a better resume, or to have won more than me.
"There's not many people with a better resume and you don't build the resume I have just by benefitting off being on the team, right? It doesn't work that way and so no it doesn't get under my skin at all."
Draymond Green's impact on the Golden State Warriors
You may not like Draymond Green, but it is tough to debate that he has not been one of the most impactful players in the modern NBA. Throughout his 11 years with the Golden State Warriors, he has been a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA team member, seven-time All-Defensive team member, the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year, and a four-time champion.
While Steph Curry and Klay Thompson dominate the spotlight for their 3-point ability and off-ball movement, it is Green who does the dirty work to make this possible. The former 35th overall pick has carried a heavy defensive burden throughout his career and has been vital to establishing Golden State's culture.
Green has also played a huge role in the offense as a screener and playmaker and has created countless looks for others beyond what the numbers recognize. This season, the Golden State Warriors have outscored opponents by 4.2 points per 100 possessions with Green on the floor and allowed 9.8 fewer points per 100 possessions with him anchoring the defense.
Draymond Green just takes over possessions defensively sometimes, what the hell https://t.co/KZOMDmQusL
The Golden State Warriors will need strong play from Draymond Green to continue throughout the postseason. Golden State finished the season 5-1 in their last six games to officially secure the sixth seed in the Western Conference. This means they escaped the play-in tournament and will prepare for a first-round matchup with the Sacramento Kings.
Despite entering as the lower seed, the Warriors are considered to be -290 favorites to win the series, according to DraftKings. Golden State has not had its typical success for most of the season, but with Andrew Wigging returning to the team and Steph Curry returning to health, the defending champions cannot be counted out.