Green: Wembanyama shouldn’t have to state importance of defense
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said he “hated” and “absolutely loved” San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s self-promoting MVP Monday night.
Green made it clear after Wednesday night’s 109-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets that he appreciated Wembanyama’s willingness to defend himself publicly, but that he didn’t like what the national response revealed about basketball consumption and media coverage.
“Wemby said, ‘Defense is 50 percent of the game,’ and it was like, oh, no one noticed?” » said Green. “Has no one realized that 50 percent of the game we play is on that side of the field?”
Wembanyama made a three-pronged argument after the Spurs’ win over the Miami Heat, highlighting his team’s 4-1 record against MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, his offensive impact beyond scoring and the acknowledged fact that he is clearly the most dominant defensive force in the league.
“Everyone says he has a good point,” Green said of Wembanyama’s reminder that defense is half the game. “Hello? You think so? I hated that he had to do that to get that out there. All of a sudden you turn on the TV and everyone’s like, ‘Actually, maybe Wemby is the MVP.'”
Green wasn’t ready to declare Wembanyama his pick for MVP, saying “maybe he is,” but there’s still work to be done. He then shifted his response to understanding the defensive end.
“It’s an indictment of basketball,” Green said. “Everyone wants to crush Luka Doncic when Luka falls short on defense. But we have this guy who defends entire teams and no one took that into account until he said defense is 50% of the game. I want to give him a lot of credit for such a profound statement, but was it really that profound? But it’s so true. Still, he had to say that.”
Green is well known for his self-promotion during awards season in recent years. He jumped into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation last March after an equally heated press conference at the same podium. Green finished third in the voting.
“With these awards, if you don’t speak, people can’t see,” Green said. “With basketball, let’s not act like everyone can just open their eyes and know what’s going on. … Until Evan Mobley finally said something last year, no one was going to give him Defensive Player of the Year. If you don’t speak up for yourself, it’s not going to work.”
As of Wednesday night, Wembanyama had played in 57 regular-season games, plus the bonus game for the NBA Cup championship, meaning he needs to appear in seven of the Spurs’ final 10 games to qualify for playoff awards.
Assuming that’s the case, Wembanyama is considered the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, but he’s still a long way from challenging Gilgeous-Alexander for the MVP award. He will face Green’s Warriors next Wednesday night on ESPN.
“I tip my cap to Wemby for agreeing to sit on this platform and say, ‘This is why,’” Green said. “Don’t hide from the issue. Don’t just assume they will understand it. No, they won’t. I’m glad he’s smart enough to know they won’t understand it. You’re not helping them see it, hell, they can’t see it.”
