To be young, gifted and underpaid.
Underneath all of the attention being paid to the Golden State Warriors becoming the best team in the NBA (this season), the Stephen Curry MVP pre-anointments and the Klay Thompson G.O.A.T. quarters, is the covert ascension of Draymond Green, who so happens to be a free agent this summer.
Along with the praise ("A lot of teams are going to have an interest and he's earned it, period," Jerry West said earlier this week) comes concerns about everything from the limitations of his game to his "oversized 2 trapped in a stretch 4" body.
To which Green's response is:
"No one is going to tell me I'm too small to do whatever, to do anything. That's not up to them and I'll never give anyone that power to say that."
You see, Draymond believes God has a plan for him. In his eyes, the plan laid out for him is one that has little to do with basketball, though. But he plans to use basketball to make sure we understand why he's here.
Scoop: People are calling you the X factor with everything going on with the Warriors. That as great as Klay [Thompson] and Steph [Curry] and the whole team are, it all rides and will die upon how you play. That you are the nucleus, the soul of this team. Is that true?
Green: Well, I think it's a solid opinion. Me being one of the vocal leaders of this team, you know, kinda that guy that brings that energy and that toughness to the team, that's something you really need to win. A guy that's going to do all of the dirty work, that guy that is willing to defend anyone and do the little things and not really care about all of that other stuff. I think every championship team needs that. And to be that guy on this team, I think is very important.
Scoop: Do you think about that every time you go onto the court? Do you put that in your mind, like, "This is my role. These are all of the things I have to do. I need to be this player for this team to win?"
Green: Not necessarily. I just go out and play my game. Just making sure I keep doing those little things, like playing with toughness, that's just me. However, I do go out on the court and try to figure out things because at different times teams need different things. Sometimes they need me to shoot, sometimes they need me to pass. I just try to figure out what it is in that moment that we need and try to bring that to the table.
Scoop: How much of being labeled a "tweener" drives you?
Green: I wouldn't say that particular word drives me, but the one thing that does drive me is people saying I'm too small. So not necessarily saying that I'm outta position, but just when people think or say I'm too small, that really drives me to wanna stop the so-called "superstar" or some other player that is supposed to be too big or too strong for me. That drives me. ...
You know man, it's just like everything else in life. Everyone is going to try to put a tag on something. "This guy is in this position." I've never been with that. When I came out in the draft people kept asking me, "So are you a small forward or a power forward?" and I was like, "I'm a basketball player." Period. Don't tell me I'm a small forward because you are taking away what I can do as a power forward. Don't consider me a power forward because you are taking away what I can do as a small forward. I'm just a basketball player and that's how I've always looked at it.
Scoop: It seems to me that you aren't the only one on the team that has had to deal with those issues. I remember coming out [of college] Steph got questioned a lot about his size and whether or not he could ball at this level for various reasons. Klay too. David Lee. Andre [Iguodala]. Harrison [Barnes]. Damn near all of you all. It's almost as if this squad is built up of players that weren't given everything, a collection of players that people doubted.
Green: Absolutely. You are talking about a bunch of guys who made the best out of their situations, who just proved their doubters wrong. You know, if the doubt hasn't stopped them they are going to continue, it's not going to stop them anytime soon. So that's definitely the case and I think that's the reason we are as good as we are because we haven't been given anything, we've had to work for where we are.
Scoop: And when you put something like that together it can be dangerous.
Green: Very dangerous. And that's the funny thing about it, we were all overlooked. But now, I'm sure there are a lot of teams beating themselves up about overlooking all of us. And that's a scary thing because, now not only do [we] have talent, we have a fuel we want to get at you. We'll never forget getting overlooked. That also fuels us.
Scoop: Fifty games in, seeing the growth of your team, knowing what you all still have to go through, knowing what you all have inside of you, with the understanding that nothing is perfect, in your opinion, what do you think this team is missing?
Green: Honestly, nothing. I think we have everything we need. I think the more we play together the better we'll be. But I still think we have everything we need. We got shooters, we got ball handlers, we got defense, we got defenders, we got rebounders, we got a bench, I think we have everything. I think if we continue to play together and continue to get closer -- obviously there are teams that have been together longer that we can't make up for that time -- but the more we play together the more comfortable we get with each other. And I think that's all we really need, is just more experience.
Scoop: Overacheiver, underachiever, in the right system or someone finally believed in you -- which one best applies to you personally?
Green: Uh, honestly, I don't think any of those. I just think no man can change what God has for you. That's just what I think. However much you want to try to stop God's will, you can't. That's really what I am. That's why I think I was put on this Earth. To show people that no matter what some man or person may have planned for you, it don't matter. And I think I'm a living testament to that.
Scoop: [Your former coach] Mark Jackson said that you were a born leader. As one of the leaders of this team, and being one that doesn't mind talking or speaking his mind, have you over the years learned when not to speak?
Green: Absolutely. You know, that's something you have to figure out: When should I say something and when shouldn't I? When should I just let something ride? I think I've done a great job of figuring that out so far. It's trial and error. Sometimes you are going to say something you shouldn't. But I think I've learned from my mistakes and I think I've definitely gotten myself in a position where, I can say to myself, "It's good to say this now," and "It's good to let this one go."
Scoop: Since we're on leaders, I know growing up in Michigan and going to Michigan State, Magic Johnson had to have an impact on you. What is the best advice you got from him that he never personally told you?
Green: Oh, it goes far beyond basketball. Just watching, you know. Just the way he's conducted himself, the way he's built his brand and taken basketball and really changed his life and used the game to change others' lives around him. With him, it doesn't take much for him to say. You just need to watch how he carries himself. Because what he's done goes way beyond Magic and the Showtime Lakers. It's Magic the businessman. That's what I've always wanted. I don't want to be Draymond Green the basketball player. I want to be Draymond Green, you know, who played basketball but he's about a lot more than just basketball. And when you think of Magic Johnson nowadays, you don't think of Magic, the Lakers and five championships. You think of, man ... I think that's incredible.
Scoop: I read this article last month proposing New Year's resolutions for the Golden State Warriors. No. 2 on the list was, "Sign Draymond Green."
Green: Man look, anytime ... just to be wanted, you know? Like in life, when you go over to someone's house, to be welcome and wanted is a good feeling. The same thing applies to basketball, just to know that you are wanted, it means a lot. And it makes you want to go harder and continue to do more and more just based on the fact that you know you are appreciated and wanted. So hearing things like that is a great feeling, especially knowing how hard I've worked for it. I can appreciate it more because I know I'm not supposed to be in this position nor was I expected to be in this position, but yet I am.