AP Photo/Mary Schwalm
Draymond Green Reacts to Marcus Smart Winning DPOY
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart took home the NBA's defense player of the year award, becoming the first guard since Gary Payton to do so. Draymond Green was not a finalist for the award, and was asked about that after Golden State's Game 2 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
"That's a guy I respect as a defender," Draymond said of Marcus Smart. "I'm extremely happy for him. Well deserved, with where that team's defense went, it changed their season. And he is right in the middle of all of that. I got no complaints." Draymond finished his answer by joking that he does in fact have some complaints, but he will save them for his podcast.
Draymond missed a good potion of Golden State's season with injury, after beginning to separate himself from the pack in the early season DPOY running. His defensive impact is undeniable, and was once again on full display in Golden State's win on Monday night. Doing it all, from guarding on the perimeter to defending Nikola Jokic in the paint, Draymond is one of the most versatile defenders of all time. While he surely would have liked to take home the award, he used his time during his postgame press conference to congratulate Marcus Smart on winning DPOY.
The Golden State Warriors vs. the Boston Celtics is a potential NBA Finals matchup, so perhaps Smart and Green will have an opportunity to showcase their defensive prowess against one another on the game's biggest stage. Until then, each player is focused on anchoring their respective team's defense in the playoffs.
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