Draymond Green, on top of Victor Wembanyama, the MVP and the defense: "If you don't speak, they don't see it"

Golden State Warriors power forward, Draymond Green, made one of the most striking reflections of the week after the 109-106 victory against the Brooklyn Nets. The veteran player admitted that he "hated" and, at the same time, "loved" the way Victor Wembanyama publicly boosted his MVP candidacy.

Green explained that he values the confidence of the San Antonio Spurs center, but criticized what he considers a delayed reaction from the media and the public to an essential aspect of the game: defense.

“Wemby said that defense is 50% of the game and suddenly it seems like nobody had realized,” Green remarked ironically. For the four-time champion, the fact that this argument gained strength only after being verbalized highlights an issue in how basketball is analyzed.

Wembanyama laid out his candidacy after the victory against the Miami Heat with three main ideas: his team's favorable record (4-1) against the MVP frontrunner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Oklahoma City Thunder; his offensive impact beyond scoring; and his defensive dominance, regarded by many as the most decisive in the league.

However, Green insisted that recognition should have come earlier. “It's an accusation against the game itself,” he asserted. “Luka Doncic gets criticized when he doesn’t deliver on defense, but here we have a player who is defending entire teams and wasn't taken into account until he said that defense is half the game.”

Green himself, often a key figure in individual award campaigns, highlighted the importance of self-promotion in the NBA. Last year, he promoted himself in the Defensive Player of the Year race, finishing third in the voting. In this regard, he argued that players must speak up if they want to be considered.

“In these awards, if you don’t talk, people don’t see it,” he explained. “In basketball, not everyone is able to grasp what’s happening. If you don’t come out and say it, it doesn’t work.”

Example, Evan Mobley

As an example, he mentioned the case of Evan Mobley, whose Defensive Player of the Year candidacy, according to Green, wasn’t fully appreciated until he publicly defended it himself.

Regarding Wembanyama, his MVP candidacy remains challenging against Gilgeous-Alexander, although he is the frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year award. To officially qualify for the awards, he must participate in at least seven of the last ten regular-season games.

Beyond statistics, Green concluded with a clear message: talent needs visibility, even when it seems obvious. And in today's NBA, that visibility often starts with oneself.