Before all the LeBron Stans get into an uproar, Jackson was lauding the versatility of both men.
Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson thinks very highly of forward Draymond Green. Jackson was so complimentary of Green recently that he compared him to the best player on the planet.
Jackson told the the Contra Costa Times that Green and LeBron James are the only guys in the league that can legitimately guard all five positions on the floor.
“It’s a tremendous luxury.”
So (on Sunday) when starting forward David Lee struggled to guard quicker and rangier Portland players on the pick-and-roll, Jackson benched him in favor of Green. The Warriors went on to rally from an 18-point deficit and win 113-112, with Green neutralizing the Trail Blazers and playing 24 minutes — the same number as Lee — before fouling out.
“We were having a problem getting stops,” said Green, who energized the team with his defense along with five points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
“We were bad, and to be down 11 (at halftime) was kind of uplifting,” he said. “We were really bad. Defensively, we were really bad. We missed a lot of shots. We were just bad across the board.”