The 2012 NBA Draft was not fun for Draymond Green. He did not get selected until the second round -- 35th overall.
As a rookie, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks in just 13.4 minutes per game. He shot 21 percent (14-for-67) from deep.
After averaging 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in 2014-15 -- and helping lead the Warriors to the title -- he signed a 5-year, $82 million contract.
"Nine, ten years ago -- would someone pay him what he's being paid to play? I don't know. We don't know," Clippers guard Patrick Beverley said on the Woj Pod. "But now, in today's game, every team in the world wants him.
"That shows you that you don't have to be the biggest, you don't have to be the tallest, you don't have to be the fastest, you don't have to have the best shot, the best handles to be successful."
In 2015-16, Draymond averaged 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, and shot nearly 39 percent from 3-point territory.
He was named an All-Star for the first time, earned All-NBA Second Team honors and finished runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
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This past season, he averaged 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, was an All-Star again, was named All-NBA Third Team and captured the Defensive Player of the Year award (his 3-point shooting did dip to 30.8 percent).
And as Steve Kerr has repeatedly said, he is the "heartbeat" of the Warriors.
"Nowadays in the NBA, playing hard is a skill because a lot of players don't play hard," Beverley explained. "I think that's great for the NBA. I think that's showing every kid around the world that you don't have to have all those attributes to play in the NBA."
Heard Draymond could recite the 34 players who were drafted before him, so I made him do it pic.twitter.com/imhjbC2Dbn (H/T @NBCSWarriors)— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 22, 2017
Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders and a Web Producer at NBC Sports Bay Area. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller
