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Draymond Green · By the time the Golden State Warriors boarded the flight back to Texas with eyes on a closeout win, the clutch-as-can-be defensive versatility of Draymond Green had become the talk of two different towns. Any conversations, though, required increased volume, given how loudly the applause was for 2024-25’s Hustle Player of the Year after one particular end-of-night sequence in Game Three. In need of one final clampdown with the Rockets behind by six in the last half-minute, Green predictably answers the call, matching his teammate’s deflection with a break-starting save of the basketball. Quarterback-like in his forward thinking, Green then positions his teammate for a game-icing throwdown, securing a 3-1 series advantage. The Houston Rockets — receiving a few more trash-talking barbs thereafter, of course — were introduced to the full-on “Draymond Green Experience” on April 26, 2025. Alongside immeasurable competitiveness, Green’s loaded statsheet ultimately read as follows: seven points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, three blocks, a +12 plus-minus, 16 contested shots, three deflections, and a 30.0 shooting percentage allowed (on 20 attempts). · State of Mint