Golden State’s Draymond Green hasn’t forgotten that he fell to the second round in the 2012 NBA Draft

Over a decade ago in the 2012 draft, the Warriors selected Draymond Green out of Michigan State. Even after all the success, he’s had in his NBA career, Green is still mad he slipped to the second round. That’s the type of player that the four-time champ has been throughout his whole career. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and is always giving his best effort. 

This offseason, the 33-year-old became a free agent, but the Warriors acted quickly to retain him. Green signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension to keep Golden State’s core alive. The trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Greem have dominated the NBA over the last 10 years.

Draymond Green is a catalyst on both ends of the floor for the Warriors. His basketball IQ is elite and he’s played with two of the best shooters in the NBA for his entire career. Even after all the success, Green still knows that he should have been drafted higher in 2012.

Warriors star Draymond Green is still mad that he was picked very low in the 2012 NBA Draft https://t.co/ch1vO62bHP

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 22, 2023

Draymond Green called it ‘baffling’ that he fell to the second round in the 2012 NBA Draft

Taking players in the NBA Draft is never a guarantee. Only a few players in league history have lived up to the expectations that were set for them. When picked in the second round, players are often thought of as a work in progress. These are talented athletes who still need to develop their game.

When the Warriors drafted Draymond Green, those were likely their intentions for him. The 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft only started five games in his first two seasons. However, he missed only three games in those first two years. In the 2014-15 season, Green was promoted to a full-time starter and has been one ever since.

After that, his career took off and he experienced a great amount of individual and team success. Green is the 2016-17 DPOY, a four-time all-star, an eight-time All-Defensive selection, and a four-time NBA Champion. If teams knew he was capable of doing all that, he surely wouldn’t have been a second-round pick. Where he was drafted can never change, but Green will continue to use it as internal motivation for his career.