Draymond Green Weighs in on Wembanyama’s MVP Hype
Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green expressed mixed feelings about the MVP promotion made by San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. After the Warriors’ 109-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Green revealed that he enjoyed Wembanyama’s willingness to defend himself publicly, but did not like the national reaction to the situation.Wembanyama argued that his team has a favorable 4-1 record against MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, highlighting his offensive impact beyond points and his defensive dominance in the league. Green admitted that Wembanyama’s statement about the importance of defense was necessary, but criticized the lack of prior recognition. Green, although he did not declare Wembanyama as his choice for MVP, acknowledged that there is still work to be done. In addition, he pointed out that the situation is a criticism of the game of basketball, where defense is often underestimated. Green, known for his own promotion in the past, recalled that visibility is key to gaining recognition in the awards. He cited the example of Evan Mobley and the need to speak up to be considered for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Wembanyama, with 57 regular season games and the additional game of the NBA Cup championship, must participate in seven of the last 10 Spurs games to be eligible for postseason awards. Wembanyama is expected to be the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, but is still considered a distant competitor for MVP against Gilgeous-Alexander. Green’s Warriors will face Wembanyama next week. “I take my hat off to Wemby for being willing to sit there on that platform and say: ‘This is the reason,'” Green concluded. “Not hiding from the question. Not assuming they’ll figure it out. No, they won’t. I’m glad he’s smart enough to know they won’t figure it out. If you don’t help them see it, damn it, they can’t see!”“Wemby said: ‘Defense is 50% of the game’, and nobody noticed?”, Green commented. “Didn’t anyone notice that we play 50% of the game on that end of the court?”
Draymond Green
