Andre Iguodala: Draymond Green is the 'Melo of defense'
Andre Iguodala had a unique take on his Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green after Thursday’s Game 2 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson, Iguodala compared the defense of the do-everything forward to that of Carmelo Anthony.
Draymond’s what?
“Draymond is the Melo of defense,” Green said.
Wait, what?
Ok, it wasn’t a direct comparison and it required some explaining.
You see, Iguodala wasn’t comparing his four-time NBA All-Defensive team teammate’s defense to that of Anthony. Because why would he do that? There’s no good reason to poke the bear in the middle of a playoff run.
Iggy: Melo ‘was a fast fat dude with hops’
Iguodala holds Anthony’s offensive prowess in high regard and was holding up Green’s game on the other end of the court as its counterpart.
“When people ask me who is one of the toughest players to defend, and I say Melo, they’re always like ‘Really?’” Iguodala said. “Maaaan, Melo — he was a fast fat dude with hops. And can shoot.
“When he hit you with that first step, it was so quick, and then he’s strong. People need to stop disrespecting Melo.”
Whether Iguodala was calling Green a “fast fat dude with hops” — well, we’ll let the two of them sort that out.
Green finding is old niche
Green was his old stat sheet-stuffing self during Thursday’s 114-111 win over Portland, posting 16 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks.
Like his teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Green appears to be relishing the opportunity to reprise his pre-Kevin Durant role as the Warriors continue to thrive with their two-time NBA Finals MVP shelved with a calf strain.
There are arguments that the Warriors are better off with one of the two or three best players in the world not on the court. It’s an argument, of course, that’s absurd.
Old-look Warriors a joy to watch
But for neutral basketball fans, getting to watch the Warriors operate as the fluid, precise, dominant unit they were before shoe-horning a ball-stopping All-Star into the lineup is a treat.
Green thriving on both ends of the court is a significant part of that equation.
And Iguodala is happy to sing the praises of his longtime teammate who’s often found himself lost in Durant’s shadow since Durant arrived in Golden State.
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