How Draymond is helping Warriors teammate Santos grow defensively originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green has missed the Warriors’ last seven games with a calf injury, but that’s not stopping the four-time NBA All-Star from making an impact for Golden State.
Forward Gui Santos detailed how valuable Green’s sage wisdom has been for the Warriors’ young players, particularly the guidance he provides on the defensive side of the ball.
“He’s a guy who likes to talk a lot with the young guys, and I’m one of the young guys. So, he always talks to us, some tips on defense, low-post,” Santos told reporters after Saturday’s practice. “In FIBA they teach us to guard the center just with the chest, hands up, hands here. He said, ‘No, in the NBA it’s different. You got to use this part right here.’ So that’s one of the tips he gave us to the young guys.”
Green is well known for his fiery personality, but Santos made it clear the veteran forward isn’t aimlessly scolding younger players for mistakes, rather taking the opportunity to use errors as a valuable tool to convey lessons.
“Not mad, sometimes it happens during a game because [you don’t] help or you should do something, but that’s normal,” Santos said. “Everybody can make a mistake. He always finds a way to say something with us in a good way. Like he never comes and just screams and talks crazy with us. He just finds a way to talk the right way with us.”
Santos further elaborated how impactful Green’s trademarked energy is for the team, highlighting the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year’s ability to affect games in ways that might not be readily apparent in traditional box scores.
“For me, he’s the definition of energy. Especially because he’s the guy that don’t need to make 20 points to impact a game,” Santos explained. “You can see games where he scores four points but he’s the most impactful guy in the game. So that for me is the definition of energy. Especially how he connects the game, how he finds passes and how he plays defense strong and is always playing hard.”
“I think that’s one thing that’s natural for him. Since the first day you can see him talking to everybody. When he shoots the ball, he’s always saying like, ‘Booooom!’ So you see he’s the guy who brings energy no matter what.”
Santos’ presser concluded with a reporter asking who talks more between Green and fellow teammate Gary Payton II.
“I think Draymond talks more,” Santos said with a smile. “Definitely Draymond.”
