Draymond Green explains why Kevin Durant is his favorite player to guard
Here's what Green had to say about KD and his dominance
There's no denying that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is one of the best defenders of his era. His 2017 Defensive Player of the Year trophy proves this. His three championship rings further compound this fact.
His favorite players in the NBA is KD
Green can be tagged as one of the poster boys of the modern era. He’s someone who cannot just handle the ball, but he can also guard almost every position. In a recent interview, Green shared who's his favorite player to guard. The forward did not hesitate to share his answer: Kevin Durant — the greatest scorer of his generation, some say of all-time. Green, who also said Durant is the best trash talker in the league, explained why:
"My favorite player to guard is also KD. For me that's the toughest challenge. What can I do to make it hard on for Kevin Durant? He sees right over the top of me, he's seven feet. He's probably a little quicker than me. He's probably a little more athletic than me, he's probably a little faster. So I'm supposed to lose that challenge, I'm supposed to lose that battle. What can I do to change that outcome? Can I take on that challenge that we all fail at?" Green said, The Volume.
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It's all about taking on the challenge
"I think for me, guarding the best and taking on that challenge of the best scorer to do it — that's fun. I enjoy that. And more importantly, I get better guarding him. If I can do some things against him, that opens up some things for me to be able to do against anybody."
It all makes sense now. When Green was crowned best defender in 2017, Durant was his teammate. It is easy to imagine Green and Durant battling it out during 5-on-5 scrimmages. The goal is to help your team get the win. But the two were having their private battle on the court.
Perhaps Green is right. No one can stop Durant one on one. But if you get him to miss a few shots, work extra hard to get to his spots, then you can already pat yourself on the back.
