Asking Draymond Green if he has a chip on his shoulder is like asking Chris Paul if Stephen Curry can dribble well.
Duh.
As a Michigan State standout, Draymond Green was no underdog. As a four-year collegiate player, Green racked up several awards and honors, including First-team All Big Ten, Big Ten Player of the Year, Consensus All-American, Sixth Man of the Year and NABC Basketball Player of the year. He was part of an impeccable stretch for Spartan basketball, including three Sweet Sixteens and a National Championship game berth in 2009.
However, coming out of college, Green was overlooked by many prominent members of the media and the pro scouting scene. It was unclear at which position he would flourish best, and many weren’t completely sold on his offensive ability. So, despite his accolades and proven leadership ability, Green fell to the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 35th overall pick.
Do we need to iterate what he’s done since then? Green has become a better pro player every year since 2012, and this year has experienced breakout success. A starter on the Warriors’ record-breaking 73-win team, Green was voted to his first-ever All-Star game, and averaged 14 points, and just over 9 rebounds and 7 assists per game. When two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry went down with knee and ankle injuries early in these playoffs, it was Green who led the Warriors past the Rockets and the pesky Trailblazers into the Western Conference Finals, where they’re currently tied 1-1 with the Thunder.
Still, Green’s success hasn’t prompted him to forget that fateful draft night, when he was passed over by team after team, some of whom selected players that are either no longer in the league, or riding benches for teams other than the one that selected them. In a recent profile of Green, Mercury News‘ Jon Wilner discovers that the Warriors forward can name every single player that was drafted ahead of him in 2012, complete with the team that drafted them. In order.
The topic is the 2012 NBA draft — his draft — and Warriors forward Draymond Green has his game face on. Offered a printout of every selection to assist his recollections of that fateful night, Green scoffs.
Ticked off? You’re darn right he’s still ticked off.
Awkwardly enough, one of the players Green would have to name to complete that list is Harrison Barnes, the UNC alum and Green’s current teammate, who was selected by the Warriors with the 7th overall pick in the first round.
Hey, all’s well that ends well.
