Is DG the most underrated defender in the L?

[ParadoxEN]

All you hear about is Kawhi, but DG is a legit All-NBA-caliber defender.

[Tully365]

Alt thread

[Kawhitstorm]

Paul Millsap is the most underrated defender & a better version of Draymond Green on offense. He might be the most underrated player that nobody talks about along with Kris Middelton when they talk about "most underrated players".....if that makes sense. Their teams didn't hesitate to max them out for a reason this past summer when Draymond's agent had to negotiate hard to get the max from the Warriors.

Danny doesn't have the size/girt to defend legit wings in the post.

[SAGirl]

DAnny had a good game. Lets see him keep this intensity for the rest of the season. This was the first game that he really pulled his weight defensively. I know what he can do, but he hadn't been this engaged, and he appeared to be actually coasting on the defensive end most of the season and then really messing up his own game on the offensive end. Good thing that he's turning his season around because the schedule is about to get more difficult.

[Obstructed_View]

Um, no. He hasn't even played up to the level of his discounted contract on either side of the ball this year. Though he's going the right direction, he's far from playing his best ball on offense or defense.

[TheGreatYacht]

Agreed. He should be getting the majority of the credit for shutting down Melo.

Now if only he would stop dribbling

[wingster]

Most? No
Underrated in general? Yes.

[Chinook]

It was a good match-up for him to go against a team full of iso and post players. Green plays his best when he only has to play one-on-one. And the Knicks bigs were bad at setting screens, which helped both Danny and Kawhi stick to their guys. Danny had the flashy plays we were seeing from him regularly last season, but he's only had a couple those so far this season. I'll settle for seeing that Green is once again a factor in the starting lineup.

[hater]

One of his first decent games of the season. And its already January. He needs to step it up imo

[ParadoxEN]

IMO, you guys should be ashamed. This isn't about last game or even this season; it's about how good he's been every year for SA.

smh

[BillMc]

Danny's defense will always be underrated with Kawhi and to a lesser extent Timmy on the team.

[313]

Maybe a couple years ago, he's recognized now as an above average defender.

[cjw]

His on ball D is great - that one play where he blocked Carmelo for the jump ball shows how adept he is at timing his movement.

He's not in the same ballpark as Leonard though in off ball D. Gets caught up on screens and loses his man too often. That's why you saw Kawhi on Reddick in the playoffs.

My one worry on D tonight was seeing Aldridge consistently letting KP leak to the three point line. He made up for it by punishing him in the block on the other end, but that can't happen against a guy like Draymond or Kevin Love.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

IMO, you guys should be ashamed. This isn't about last game or even this season; it's about how good he's been every year for SA.

smh
You sound just like apo

[ParadoxEN]

Maybe a couple years ago, he's recognized now as an above average defender.

I almost never hear him mentioned when people talk about the best wing defenders. Who's better at the 2 in the league? Bradley? Allen? Heck I hear more about Klay Thompson.

IMO, it's Butler, DG and PG - that's not only "above average".

[SpursFan86]

His defense has been slightly disappointing this year IMO. He could've been 2nd team all-defense last year, but this year I don't think he's been as good. He's been solid in isolation, but as always, he seems prone to losing his man and giving up open jumpers. He also hasn't been particularly impressive in the PnR.

When guarding the PnR ball-handler: .81 ppp (33% of his plays) - puts him in the 46th percentile
Spot-up: 1.08 ppp (29% of his plays) - puts him in the 20th percentile

So in two of his most common areas of defense, he's been below league average. Not that Synergy stats are the be-all and end-all of the discussion when it comes to defense...but I think the eye test backs up the numbers.

I do think he's been much better as of recent though, so I have hopes that he'll get back to where he was last year (a legitimate candidate for 2nd team all-defense).

[ParadoxEN]

His defense has been slightly disappointing this year IMO. He could've been 2nd team all-defense last year, but this year I don't think he's been as good. He's been solid in isolation, but as always, he seems prone to losing his man and giving up open jumpers. He also hasn't been particularly impressive in the PnR.

When guarding the PnR ball-handler: .81 ppp (33% of his plays) - puts him in the 46th percentile
Spot-up: 1.08 ppp (29% of his plays) - puts him in the 20th percentile

So in two of his most common areas of defense, he's been below league average. Not that Synergy stats are the be-all and end-all of the discussion when it comes to defense...but I think the eye test backs up the numbers.

I do think he's been much better as of recent though, so I have hopes that he'll get back to where he was last year (a legitimate candidate for 2nd team all-defense).

Your stats would be a lot more meaningful if you showed the #s for the "better" denfeders at the 2, IMO.

[SpursFan86]

Iguodala is definitely more underrated IMO. Everyone talks about Curry/Klay/Draymond being so important for that team and hardly anyone mentions Iguodala. He's definitely in the running for best SG defender.

Iguodala
PnR ball-handler (32% of plays): .55 ppp - 93rd percentile
Spot-up (27.5% of plays): .88 ppp - 65th percentile

Paul George
PnR ball-handler (26% of plays): .72 ppp - 72nd percentile
Spot-up (33% of plays): .82 ppp - 78th percentile

Andre Roberson
PnR ball-handler (33% of plays): .73 ppp - 69th percentile
Spot-up (20% of plays): .80 ppp - 80th percentile

Winslow (Miami actually might be playing him more at the 3, he can certainly play SG though)
PnR ball-handler (24% of plays): .71 ppp - 72nd percentile
Spot-up (31% of plays): .83 ppp - 75th percentile

Guys like Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler are pretty overrated defensively. Klay has never been elite, and Jimmy Butler's defense took a huge hit once his offensive role grew.

[tholdren]

Danny green is a spurs fit. He would blow in any other situation. Overrated by spurs fans, but he is the type of player they need for the most part. He's mentally weak, low iq, and too passive. Of he had bruce or Stephen jackson, patty or manus edge/attitude he would be an awesome player.

[maverick1948]

It is hard not to be underrated when you are the 3rd or 4th best defender on your own team. Tim, Kawhi and to some extent LaMarcus have all shown how good of defenders they are. LaMarcus is the biggest surprise of all the players in the league. To go from a 20+ 10+ at Portland, to accepting his role as a different type player at SA. He could well end the season on a streak of 20+ pt games and still be defending at this same level.

DG is a top defender in the league, but with so many others working hard within the system, he is grossly overlooked.

[SAGirl]

SpursFan86 thanks for taking the effort to share the stats.
:toast

[Tully365]

Underrated single game for Danny against the Knicks-- this is how he can be valuable going forward: 8 pts, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks. As far as being an underrated defender, I just don't see that. Seems to me every article and comment I hear or see about him refers to him as the classic 3&D player. One guy I work with who's only a casual basketball fan commented on how much like Bruce Bowen he is for the Spurs... that seems like the general opinion about him.