NBA Notes: Warriors, Draymond Green, Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards, Lakers

Warriors

Draymond Green has a very real shot at joining a tiny list of NBA greats with 10 All-Defensive selections, and it has become a major driver for him this season.

That list is basically royalty. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Scottie Pippen, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Green has nine selections, so he needs just one more.

“You see a list like that and that immediately becomes your why,” Green told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It is like man, I need to give all that I can to be on that thing. When you look at a list like that and you say, ‘Man, I can be on that list.’ It is captivating. If I am honest, it consumes you.”

Green added that it is the type of stamp he wants to end his career with. He also told Amick his thinking about retirement has shifted.

The 35-year-old said his body feels better each year and that he no longer has a one- or two-year timeline in his head. The game will tell him when it is time.

Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards has been cleared for contact work. The team announced it on Monday, and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski noted it is a strong sign he is close to returning.

Edwards has missed four straight with a right hamstring strain.

Lakers

Los Angeles pulled out a 123-115 win over Portland on Monday, and that was with LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves all inactive.

Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton delivered big nights, but the surprise was rookie guard Nick Smith Jr., who poured in 25 points on a two-way deal. Smith was reportedly sick and threw up at halftime, per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.

Smith said afterward the game was “probably the most fun I have had in a long time.”