Draymond Green finished runner-up in the Defensive Player of the Year Award voting the last two seasons.
Kawhi Leonard took home the hardware both times.
Does he think he has a shot to win it this year?
"That's definitely something that I want to win, extremely serious about trying to win that award," Draymond told The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday. "It's something you can look at and it can go one of two ways. Number one -- I don't think our defensive numbers will ever be extremely high or something off the wall because this team plays so fast ... it's dangerous for transition defense so it makes it tough.
"When you look at our defense, that's where we get hit at the most is in transition. When we get our set defense we're pretty good. So I look at the numbers and I think about those things, and then I also think about how this is a completely different type of defense -- it'll take a little time for all that to come together...
"I think I've been incredible defensively this year. It's one of the things that I really locked in on; I focused in on. I'm so locked in on that end of the basketball (court) right now. It's fun. And I think part of the reason I'm so locked in on it is because of everybody talking about what we can't do on that end and how we'll struglee on that end -- just all the doubt on that end from everyone -- it just has me at another place mentally."
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Draymond is averaging 2.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.
Through 13 games, the Warriors are allowing 108.6 points per contest -- the fifth worst mark in the league.
The Spurs (97.6ppg) are sixth.
"When I look at that and say, 'Man our numbers our low, I wonder if people will vote for me?' Honestly, I don't think that will affect it ... this is no disrespect to Kawhi (Leonard), but the Spurs' defensive numbers will probably always be better than ours. Their pace is probably always a lot slower than ours, so they're usually playing a set defense, not getting beat in transition as much.
"If that did cost me, then hey, so be it. I'm trying to make it to the point this year where it will be hard to deny me that award. That's my focus and that's what I'm gonna try to do.
"I'm not a selfish guy when it comes to awards or stats ... this is one thing I'm very selfish about. I want to win that Defensive Player of the Year Award bad."
