OAKLAND – At least two Warriors, center Andrew Bogut and forward Draymond Green, are widely considered deserving of consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA.
Both should to be All-Defense first team, according to MVP candidate Stephen Curry.
Green, however, goes even further than that. He believes veteran forward Andre Iguodala, the only Warrior voted to the first-team last season, should be a repeat selection.
"I think we should have three guys on the All-Defensive team," Green said Thursday, after the morning shootaround. "Our defensive numbers speak for (themselves). Guys' individual numbers on the defensive end, as well. So we'll see what happens. But we're not a team that's doing what we do for individual awards. Whatever happens with that stuff happens."
The Warriors have spent most of the season leading the league in every significant defensive metric, most notably field-goal percentage defense and overall efficiency. Much of the praise has gone to Bogut, the leading paint protector in the league, and to Green, that rare player capable of defending all five positions.
"I think we definitely both should be in the running," Green said.
Neither Green nor Bogut got much play last season. Bogut finished 32nd in the voting, Green, a reserve last season, was 59th. Klay Thompson was 31st and David Lee was 61st.
Curry, the only member besides Iguodala to receive a first-team vote, finished 38th and expects a dramatic change when the honors are announced late in the playoffs.
"If we don't have representation with at least two guys, not including myself, on that list, then I don't know what people have been watching this year," Curry said. "It's been Draymond and Bogues, night in and night out, taking that challenge on and being the eyes of our defense. They've played at a high level on that end all year. I think they've gotten the respect across the league for what they're about."
