Draymond Green is getting the love from fans he’s been getting from basketball insiders for a long time now. Steph Curry‘s outlandish scoring is obviously the big story in Golden State, and with his backcourt mate capable of getting 37 points in a quarter there isn’t always room for everyone else in the limelight. But Draymond Green is something truly special — and he seems more like Bulls legend and dream teamer Scottie Pippen every day. Green signed a massive $85 million contract in the offseason and then came out to prove he’s worth even more. Green just catapulted past Blake Griffin and Kawhi Leonard in the All-Star voting too, trailing only Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant among Western Conference frontcourt players.
Green was picked just #35 in the draft (2012), but wasted little time establishing his Pippen-esque bona fides. Last year was Green’s third in the league — his 36 minute averages were 13.3 points, 1.8 steals, 1.4 blocks, 4.2 assists and 9.4 rebounds with a 2-point field goal percentage of .523. Pippen’s third year (1989-90) 36 minute averages were 15.4 points, 2.4 steals, 1.2 blocks, 5.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds with a 2-point field goal percentage of .514. Green made the NBA All-Defensive First Team, too, a accolade Pippen achieved eight times, though not until his fifth season. The two 6’7″ wings had another thing in common. The light didn’t shine directly on them — what with Curry and Michael Jordan around — but there is very little light around without them there.
