Perhaps it was the fact that I'm a Michigan alum that made me think Draymond Green was a steal in the 2012 NBA draft after killing the Wolverines and the rest of the Big Ten for years, but suffice it to say that I was stunned the Golden State Warriors were even able to get him with a second round pick.
So it's great to see him getting recognition and he's getting plenty of it after starting and turning in an outstanding defensive performance against L.A. Clippers star Blake Griffin in Game 4.
Coach Nick provides a number of examples of his defensive impact in Game 4, which GSoM's own Andy Liu summarized well in his complementary piece from this morning:
Green is just as important on defense as he is on offense. Like Iguodala, none of his work is as tangibly pleasing as Curry shooting off-the-dribble threes or Thompson's quick release off elevator screens. But their work is as invaluable to this team as the Splash Brothers. The two best perimeter defenders on the team, Iguodala and Green help reinforce the old adage "defense creates offense" leaving them as crucial to the Warriors' success Sunday night as they will become for the foreseeable future.
If you haven't read Andy's piece illustrating why the small ball lineup worked so well, you should definitely do so.
For more on Sunday's game at Oracle, check out our Warriors-Clippers Game 4 storystream.