In an NBA landscape where Victor Wembanyama averages nearly five blocks per game using his seven-foot-gazillion frame and innate instincts, Draymond Green still believes he is the best defender in the game. Yes, the Golden State Warriors big man continues to self-publish hot takes about himself, with the most recent claim being particularly outlandish.
“I feel like defensively right now, I can see everything like it’s slow motion,” Green said during a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show.
“And it’s such a beautiful space to be in,” Green continued. “I feel like it’s all starting to come together for me and … everything’s starting to hit this peak. And I need to keep that going. … And by the way, I want to make First Team All-Defense.”
“Like, last year, one of the most beautiful things to me was when the All-Defense team rolled out, and it was (me plus guys who were) 22 years old, 23 years old, 24 years, 25 or 26 … on the first team. And I felt wonderful.”
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“Once you get to the OG status (in the NBA), guess what you want to be again?” Draymond continued. “You want to be with the young fellas. They start making their way in, they start taking over the league and making all the teams and becoming stars. So then you want to be with the young fellas again.”
“And so for me, (to be) on the All-Defense team … next to them young guys, like, don’t get me wrong, I still think I’m the best.”
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There’s no doubt that Draymond, 35, is still one of the most impactful defenders in the NBA. But to claim that he’s still the league’s best defender comes across as Green overcompensating, especially with a guy like Wemby in the mix again after missing much of 2024-25.
We get it — the competitor in Draymond needs to believe that he’s still the best. But that mentality makes Draymond the podcaster more difficult to listen to.
When you take off your game sneakers and enter the podcast booth, you should leave your ego at the door so that you can give cool-headed takes about the game you know so much about. Draymond has a ton of potential as a podcaster, and while a lot of people think he’s annoying, he doesn’t get enough credit for his willingness to saw exactly how he feels in a raw and authentic fashion — it’s refreshing.
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Maybe once Green is done playing, he’ll become a more digestible podcast voice.
