OAKLAND -- Though Draymond Green is not ready to put a timeline on his recovery from left knee soreness, much less a return to the Warriors' lineup, he is fully prepared to verbalize his individual goal this season.
He wants to add another Defensive Player of the Year award to the one he earned two seasons ago.
No, he really, really, wants it.
"It's important," he said Monday.
"I was second-team All-Defense. That's crazy. So, yeah, I've got to get that.
Ask if his placement on the second team was a matter of voter negligence or his performance, Green barely paused.
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"Probably a little bit on me," he said. "But I don't think any voter can tell me (there are) five defensive players better than me."
Green then paused, for effect.
"I'll wait."
Green finished sixth in the DPOY voting. Finishing in the top five were the runaway winner, Utah center Rudy Gobert, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, New Orleans forward Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City forward Paul George and Boston center/forward Al Horford.
Green won the award in 2016-17 by a considerable margin over Gobert. Green finished second in 2015-16, behind San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard.
Though goals are one way for a player to assess his value to his team and within the league, Green also uses them as a form of self-motivation. It worked two years ago.
He'll have to get back into the lineup to have a chance for it work again.
