Draymond Green Sounds Off on Wemby's Self-Promo for NBA MVP Award in Trending Video

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green praised San Antonio Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama on Wednesday for recently making his NBA MVP case to the media.

Green noted that he "absolutely loved" Wemby going to bat for himself, but "hated" that Wembanyama had to point out the importance of defense:

Speaking to reporters after the Warriors' 109-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, Green said, "Wemby said, 'Defense is 50 percent of the game,' and it was like, oh, no one realized that? No one realized that 50 percent of the game we play is on that end of the floor?"

Green added, "Everybody says he has a great point. Hello? You think? I hated that he had to do that for it to be said. All of a sudden, you turn on the TV and everybody is like, 'Actually, maybe Wemby is the MVP.'"

On Tuesday, Wembanyama laid out his MVP résumé to reporters, and defense was a big part of his argument.

"My first one would be that defense is 50 percent of the game and that it is undervalued so far in the MVP race. I believe I'm the most impactful player defensively in the league," Wembanyama said. "Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season, and we dominated them three times with their real team. ... The third argument would be that offense impact is not just points."

The 7'4" Wembanyama has been a defensive force since entering the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

He finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting as a rookie and would have been the runaway winner of the award last season had deep vein thrombosis not cut his campaign short after 46 games.

Provided Wembanyama plays in at least seven more games this season to reach the 65-game threshold to be eligible for awards, he figures to be the unquestioned DPOY and very much in the MVP race with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers and Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets.

To go along with averages of 24.2 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 three-pointers made per game, Wembanyama's defensive counting statistics are highly impressive, as he is putting up 11.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per contest.

Wemby Poster on Grizzlies

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Green, who was the DPOY in 2017, called it an "indictment on the game of basketball" that defense isn't taken into account as much as it should be when it comes to MVP voting.

Draymond went on to suggest that Wembanyama had no choice other than to speak up and draw attention to what he is doing in order to have a legitimate chance at winning MVP.

"With these awards, if you don't talk, people can't see," Green said. "With the game of basketball, let's not act like everyone can just open their eyes and know what's going on. ... Until [Cleveland Cavaliers center] Evan Mobley finally said something last year, no one was going to give him Defensive Player of the Year. If you don't come out and speak for yourself, it don't work. ...

"I tip my cap to Wemby for being willing to sit up there on that platform and say, 'This is why.' Not hide from the question. Not just assume they'll figure it out. No, they won't. I'm happy he's smart enough to know they won't figure it out. You don't help them see it, damn it they can't see."

Even aside from his statistical output, what Wembanyama has done for the Spurs this season should not be ignored.

San Antonio entered the season in the midst of a six-year playoff drought, and while simply making the postseason would have been an accomplishment, the Spurs have gone above and beyond that.

At 55-18, the Spurs lead the Lakers by eight games for second place in the Western Conference, and they are just two games behind the Thunder for the best record in the league.

Wembanyama is undoubtedly the biggest reason for San Antonio's team success this season, and that alone should go a long way toward earning him significant consideration for the NBA's highest individual honor.