Draymond Green loves talking. He loves defense. He loves talking defense, too.
The 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year recently chatted with The Athletic’s Sam Amick about a wide range of topics, including Steph Curry’s defensive reputation.
“Quite frankly, I think that if you watched him play this year, the stuff that he has (done) on that side of the ball has been incredible,” Green told Amick.
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As a wiry guard and one of the game’s best offensive threats ever, Curry’s defense hasn’t been a focus of conversation.
RELATED: Green cites Westbrook in Curry's case for MVP
Curry has never been known as a lockdown defender, but Green says opposing offenses can’t attack No. 30 the way they used to.
“Teams will try to post him up, and he’s too f--king strong now,” Green said. “They can’t post him up anymore. He’s gotten much quicker laterally. And most importantly, he don’t reach every play anymore. So his growth on that side of the ball (is significant). But because he’s been so good offensively, no one talks about it. His growth on that side of the ball has been insane.”
Golden State Warriors
A simple side-by-side look at Curry’s body in 2021 compared to the one he had as a skinny rookie, and you can see he’s got a much bulkier frame. Green said Curry is putting in the work after games and it's changed his game defensively. As if Curry needs to get any better at basketball.
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