All of the latest success that the Golden State Warriors have found has been credited to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. However, Draymond Green has been equally important to the Warriors’ rise in the Western Conference standings since the All-Star break because of his elite skills on defense.
Green was recognized by the NBA on Tuesday for his defensive achievements during Golden State’s stretch of dominance, as he was named the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month for March.
The Warriors went 11-4 and have been one of the best defensive teams in the league during the second half of the 2024-25 season. This is because of Green’s efforts and commitment to defensive excellence.
Aside from averaging 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in March, Draymond helped Golden State achieve the second-best defensive rating (109.7), trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder (108.4).
Green continues to put together a strong resume for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award with his performances down the stretch run of the season. He put together several highlight reel-worthy defensive plays throughout the month, notably holding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to 0-of-7 from the field on Mar. 18 and recording four clutch steals in a win on Mar. 20 over the Toronto Raptors.
The eight-time All-Defensive forward and 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year continues to claim that he is the obvious choice for this end-of-season award.
“I think for me, just never being a liability in any situation. No matter what the situation is for me defensively, I’m fit for it,” Green said while stating his case for Defensive Player of the Year on his podcast. “Evan Mobley — incredible defender, has incredible tools, incredible length, great shot blocker. Dyson Daniels — incredible defender. What he’s doing on the steals front, you’ve got to take your hat off to him. Trip (Jaren Jackson Jr.), my young fella — incredible defender. What he does defending the rim is special.
“I think for me personally, I protect the rim, I can guard the pick and roll, I can trap the pick and roll, and still guard my man without help, which I think is a skill that I have in the NBA that I don’t think anyone else possesses.”
Green continues to advocate for himself, and it seems like many around the league are beginning to take notice of Green’s defensive prowess down the stretch run of the season. The Warriors forward recently surpassed Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley in the odds for Defensive Player of the Year.
Whether or not Green can become a two-time Defensive Player of the Year award recipient will come down to how well the Warriors play during the final two weeks of the regular season and what kind of impact the veteran can continue to make on defense.
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