Cover your ears, Draymond Green!
Steve Kerr only just returned to the Golden State Warriors’ sideline and is already setting the stage for an old-school, behind-the-scenes fisticuffs battle between he and Green.
Why exactly?
Because he thinks Kawhi Leonard, not Green, is the NBA’s best two-way player.
From CSNBAyArea.com’s Monte Pool (via Complex Sports):
“We always talk about two-way players and how important it is, especially in the modern NBA, where you can’t hide a guy at either end,” Kerr said. “He’s probably the best two-way player in the league now.”
Awkward much?
Not really.
Kerr isn’t throwing shade, and Leonard certainly has a case as the league’s best two-way talent, one even Green himself cannot ignore. But while Leonard may be the more impactful player, in that he can more effectively carry a team without megastar help, Green is the more versatile piece, if only by a hair. He is the more accomplished playmaker, and Leonard doesn’t spend as much time guarding opposing 5s as him. But Leonard is the better scorer and more explosive of the two, and his defense, even if he doesn’t pester all five positions that frequently, stacks up against that of anyone else.
Thus, the dilemma.
Nonexistent dilemma.
Draymond Green is great. Kawhi Leonard is great. And, together, they rank as the two best end-to-end players in the game.
