Most NBA pundits expect Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert to win Defensive Player of the Year, with the few remaining outliers leaning toward Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons.
When asked by Anthony Slater of The Athletic who he’d choose, Green looked at him incredulously for several seconds before joking, “Anthony, you know me well, buddy” and walking out of his press conference with a smile on his face.
Green is not exactly modest about his ability, so the idea that he thinks he should win the award is hardly surprising, but he has a stronger case than others seem to think.
Fivethirtyeight’s overall and box score RAPTOR defensive metrics rank Green among the 10 best defenders in basketball.
That is likely why Gobert will win this award, but for what he has done on such an underwhelming roster, Green deserves more consideration than he has gotten.