Rookie Regards: Draymond Green

Prior to 2012, only two players in college basketball history had recorded 2 triple-doubles in the NCAA tournament.  The first to do so was Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati in the '50s.  Following the Big O in this accomplishment was Michigan State’s Magic Johnson.  During the opening round of the 2012 tournament, another Spartan joined the two Hall of Famers in executing such a tremendous stat line more than once.  That Spartan was Draymond Green.

Green was not an immediate college star in the way that guys like John Wall or Anthony Davis were.  His college hoops journey involved working his way up in the team’s rotation from one game to the next, eventually becoming the focal point of Tom Izzo's team by his senior year.

Draymond finished his career at MSU as the program’s all-time leading rebounder, also leading the team to a no. 1 seed in the tournament in his final season.  Despite his efforts, the Spartans failed to have much of an impact in the postseason, losing to no. 4 seeded Louisville in the Sweet 16.

Upon the end of his college career, many were skeptical of where Draymond’s career would go.  Would he get drafted?  Would he get cut before the season started?  Would he ever get playing time?  How long will it be before he heads to the D-League or overseas?  Although I was a fan of his, I joined those who were doubtful of what he could do in the NBA.  So far, I would say he’s done a pretty solid job of proving us doubters wrong.

Green was drafted 35^th overall by the Golden State Warriors in this summer's draft.  Draymond would be joining fellow rookies Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli, both of whom were first round picks by the Warriors.

The summer league eventually came around and it quickly became apparent that Draymond would have a tough time scoring the same way he did in college.  Also apparent though, was the fact that he didn’t need to score to help his team.  Green showed smarts on the court, playing tough defense and grabbing quality rebounds.  It's clear that as a player, he's aware of his abilities, strengths and weaknesses.  He may not be as athletic as his fellow rookies, but he plays with more smarts than many veterans of the league today.

With the regular season well under way, Draymond is (just like in college) working his way up in the rotation and proving his worth to his team.  His numbers have been lackluster, averaging only 3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.  He is operating on only 14.7 minutes per contest though, and anybody who’s been watching the Warriors could tell you that he has used those limited minutes to great effect.

In clutch situations, head coach Mark Jackson has kept Draymond in the game and in some cases, even made him a go-to option for the team.  While playing a career-high 30 minutes against the Miami Heat, Green stayed in the game down to the last second.  He ended the game by sinking a buzzer-beating lay-up off a pass from Jarrett Jack to break the tie and upset the defending champions.  Six games after his last-second heroics, he was chosen to defend Kobe Bryant during the fourth quarter and overtime of a game that the Warriors eventually lost.

With their record now at 21-10, the Warriors are having their finest season since the days of their Run-T.M.C. trio (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin, for those that aren’t familiar) in the early ‘90s.  They have a great chance of getting into the playoffs for only the second time in 18 seasons, and it’s looking like Green will see his fair share of time on the court during that run.  I enjoy watching him for a couple reasons.  One is that he and I are both Michiganders.  The other main reason is that he’s a great example of what hard work and court smarts can do for a player.

Green is by no means one of the more athletic players in the current rookie class.  He’s proved though that it doesn’t matter.  It’s not often that rookies can say they get to take the last shot against the reigning champs or guard Kobe in overtime.  It really is a testament to his leadership mindset, continuing to shine brightly after the end of his days as a Spartan.