I have nothing but respect for Draymond Green and all he has accomplished at Michigan State. Not only in terms of statistical accomplishments, but in terms of leadership and first class representation of MSU as well. A coach on the floor, a leader in the locker room, and a hard working man of high character. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind as to whether Mr. Green possesses the intangibles necessary to succeed in the NBA, but there most certainly have been skeptics as to whether he has the physical tools. At roughly 6′ 6″ and 230 pounds, Green is most accurately described as a “tweener”. He has the height of a shooting guard or forward, but the girth of a power forward. The question of where he would fit in the NBA has often been pondered, despite his success at the collegiate level. Of course, being tall isn’t everything(see Shawn Bradley, Manute Bol, others)and this is what many NBA scouts have come to remember of late. Green can dribble and pass the ball with the skill of a smaller man, and he can rebound right along side those who are taller. He can jump shoot well, even from three point land, and gives a team many match up possibilities. Take a look at his Big Ten career:

Draymond Green Stat Summary: (Courtesy statsheet.com)

Not only did he average a double-double in a very competitive conference while logging heavy minutes, he even shot a respectable 38 percent from beyond the arc this season. He did all of this while being the vocal leader of a squad which over achieved according to most analysts. In him then, you have a player with basketball savvy, a workhorse who will play as many minutes as you will allow him, and a player who has shown ability to score from all over the court. Oh, and let’s not forget that he rebounds like someone had just stolen the ball from him.

When I was first asked the question of where I thought he would go in the NBA draft I was still unsure of how to answer. As complete and prolific his game has been at the NCAA level, I didn’t have a good feel for how the NBA scouts would rate him. I was originally afraid that they wouldn’t appreciate the unique package of abilities that Green has. Upon further researching several sites running mock drafts, it seems that most now agree that he will go anywhere from late first round to early second. This in an appreciable climb from where he was projected early in the season, and is directly attributed to his outstanding performance this year. He put the team on his back on numerous occasions and that did not go unnoticed it seems. I will link one mock draft for your viewing pleasure, though there are certainly many others to view as well. I liked this one but because it showed a plausible scenario in which Green goes late in the first round, as well as sending him to a team where he would fit in nicely(the Thunder).

Draymond Green (courtesy MLive.com)

Mock Draft Roundup:

NBA Draft.net has Green going #28 overall to the Heat. Check that here

ESPN’s Chad Ford lists Green as a late first round pick here

The Sports Bank.net’s David Kay has Green listed as the last overall pick in round one, with a detailed write up to go along with his mock. Read that here

I hope Green lands with a team that will be able to utilize him to the fullest and in a market where he has a chance to win. I know that regardless of the outcome of the draft he will be successful in life. The man has skills beyond playing basketball too, after all. If some of these latest mocks come true, we should be able to enjoy watching him play in the show for years to come. After that, something tells me we will see him on camera doing one of his favorite things. Talking. Best of luck to Draymond Green, your Spartan family is always with you.

Go Green