© Gregory Shamus | 2018 Jun 8
Draymond Green isn’t LeBron James. Maybe only one player in the history of the NBA is truly comparable. But when it comes to the unique combination of skills that Green possesses, there is no other comparison according to Steve Kerr.
Kerr said as much fresh off one of the best regular season games of Green’s career on Friday, where he tossed a mind-blowing 19 assists while adding 11 points and 12 rebounds, all while acting as the team’s defensive anchor.
Green is the Warriors’ best center, point guard and defensive anchor all at once. He remains one of the best passers in all of the NBA, his 8.4 a game tied for sixth best in the league, and the highest among players who are not the focal point of their offenses. Green does this while still being able to guard all five positions, a skill that in of itself would be unique to about five or six players in the entire league.
He’s not the scorer that LeBron is, but he can do just about everything else.
“You talk about a guy with size who handles the ball and controls the game and can defend at the other end, there aren’t many players,” Kerr said when comparing Draymond to LeBron. “That’s the only one that comes to mind. Obviously LeBron and Draymond are different players. But in just terms of making an impact at both ends, that size and that brain to control the game and understand everything that’s happening. Draymond is really special.”
It’s that skillset that has helped Draymond be a cornerstone of three championship teams, and has punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame. He’s done all of it without elite athleticism, something James has. Instead, Green as had to rely largely on his intelligence and desire to make a difference at the NBA level.
Both were on display Friday night.