It doesn’t take long for one to see that Draymond Green always plays with a chip on his shoulder. The Golden State Warriors power forward is not a shy player and he always shows his intensity on the basketball court, especially during the playoffs.
The source of Draymond’s style of play could be traced back to his draft night in 2012 when the Michigan State product dropped all the way to the 35th pick in the draft. Green remembers that night perhaps a little too well, as he can evidently name every single player drafted ahead of him, in order.
In a sit-down with the Mercury News, Green talked about the chip on his shoulder regarding the criticisms that led to him becoming a second round pick.
“I know why I had to wait,” he said. “I know what the scouts thought: ‘He’s a tweener. Who’s he going to guard? He’s maxed out his potential.’
“But I knew none of that was valid. What happened to me is what normally happens to players in my situation. But I knew I wasn’t normal.”
Green has taken the anger of being labeled and drafted so late and used it to exceptional levels. Just four years after being drafted, he is one of the best and most impactful players in the league and certainly one of the most valuable defenders.
Who knows how Draymond would have fared in the league if he was drafted at a more reasonable position, given what we know now. Perhaps not having the motivation to prove doubters wrong would have meant that those same criticisms would ultimately come true. Or perhaps, Green was always going to become an incredible player despite signs that pointed otherwise as he was coming out of college.
Regardless, it is cool to see Draymond Green use his draft night as motivation at an almost unthinkable level. Every team in the league, including the Warriors, passed on Green and he has every right to rub his success in the face of 29 of them as he continues his journey as one of the best all-around players in the league and potentially a two-time NBA champion.
