Quote (Sixers @ Nov 15 2020 09:10pm)
You're a few years behind if you think Draymond is still an elite defender rofl
I'm really not.
In a nutshell, it's hard to quanity defensive impact... So any arguments or debate in regards to this situation is always going to be subjective..
Anecdotally, when Draymond puts in 100% effort, he still looks like a DPOY-level defender. He just doesn't do that as much as he should anymore, and it's probably due to fatigue, injuries, or his age.
Not to mention,the game has just changed. Draymond is a good all-around defender (at the rim, on the wing, in the post, etc,) but what sets him apart from most players on the defensive end is his help defense.
Several years ago, teams used to have 2+ guys inside the 3 point line on offense, mid range/high post, and that led to Draymond's innate ability to freelance off his assignment and attack to break up the play.
But the league has spread out since then, and some teams (like the Bucks or the Rockets) don't keep anyone inside the arc on offense. Draymond's ability to help is severely limited against a scheme like that. He's still a good wing defender, DPOY level? Probably only in the playoffs, where you know it actually matters.
I mean Draymond himself basically rendered the Harden to Capela lob useless.
This post was edited by ShampooMonK on Nov 15 2020 07:16pm