OAKLAND -- Though Draymond Green isn't ready to put a timeline on his recovery from left knee soreness, much less a return to the Warriors’ lineup, he is fully prepared to verbalize his individual goal this season.
He wants to add another NBA Defensive Player of the Year award to the one he earned two seasons ago.
No, he really, really, wants it.
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“It’s important,” he said Monday.
“I was second-team All-Defense. That’s crazy. So, yeah, I’ve got to get that."
When asked if his placement on the second team was a matter of voter negligence or his performance, Green barely paused.
“Probably a little bit on me,” he said. “But I don’t think any voter can tell me (there are) five defensive players better than me.”
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Green then paused, for effect.
“I’ll wait.”
Green finished sixth in the DPOY voting. Finishing in the top five were runaway winner Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George and Boston Celtics center/forward Al Horford.
Green won the award in 2016-17 by a considerable margin over Gobert. Green finished second in 2015-16, behind San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard.
Though goals are one way for a player to assess his value to his team and within the league, Green also uses them as a form of self-motivation. It worked two years ago.
He’ll have to get back into the lineup to have a chance for it to work again.