"He's the crazy one, the wild one, the one you love having on your team. We go at it all the time." Steve Kerr
THE MOMENT THAT hints at his unrivaled versatility comes on a Saturday in Los Angeles, during the first quarter of a game against the Clippers. Draymond Green, generously listed at 6-foot-7, guards DeAndre Jordan, a human springboard who stands 4 inches taller. Green is relentlessly electrified tonight, bellying up to Jordan at the top of the perimeter until the Clippers center passes to Chris Paul on the left wing, near the 3-point line. Now Green switches from defending the tallest, most powerful player on the court to facing one of the quickest, craftiest guards in NBA history. Green sets his feet and stretches his arms. He barks commands to his teammates. “Move!”
Paul skips a pass to Jamal Crawford on the right side of the arc, and Green sees that Crawford’s defender is Stephen Curry. More than anyone on his team, Green makes a particular effort to ease Curry’s burden, coordinate with his movements and save the MVP’s energy. And so Green edges himself closer to the block, to blanket Crawford if he drives. But he instead launches a 3-pointer. It cracks against the rim and ricochets high. Green sprints to the low block and steals the rebound from Jordan, knocking the big man off balance.
This story is from the April 11,2016 edition of ESPN The Magazine.
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This story is from the April 11,2016 edition of ESPN The Magazine.
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