Warriors forward Draymond Green was among the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, but Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley swatted that opportunity away.
It was Mobley, and not Green (or Hawks guard Dyson Daniels), who claimed the award — becoming the first Cav ever to do so in the process.
But Green — viewed as a basketball villain among Cavs fans — was all class when discussing Mobley winning the award.
“Congratulations to Evan Mobley. Incredible young player,” Green told reporters following the Warriors’ win over the Rockets on Saturday. “It’s always great to see young guys get their due in this league.”
Mobley certainly deserved the award. Green certainly deserved strong consideration. While the Cavs and Warriors may not agree on much — given their history of four straight Finals appearances against each other (2015-18) — they can at least agree to that.
Interestingly, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson is a former Warriors assistant and has sort of turned Mobley into Cleveland’s version of Green. Mobley will now grab defensive rebounds and dribble the length of the court, setting up the offense in a “point forward” role. Much like Green does with Golden State.
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