Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green wanted to be named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year this season.
While the veteran forward fell short of that goal Thursday night, finishing behind Dyson Daniels and eventual winner Evan Mobley, he received a nice consolation prize on Friday when he was named the winner of the NBA's Hustle Award for the 2024-25 season.
Unlike most of the main awards that are handed out during this stretch each year, the Hustle Award isn't voted on. Instead, it is compiled from how a player ranks across nine statistical categories designed to show a player's impact on his team beyond the traditional box score stats. They are: charges drawn, deflections, screen assists, contested 2-point shots and 3-point shots; offensive and defensive loose balls recovered; and offensive and defensive box outs.
Green ranked in the top 15 in five of those categories (charges drawn, deflections, contested 2's, 3's and defensive box outs) and the NBA said he's the first player to rank inside the top 40 in all nine categories used to determine the winner.
Green ranked first among the 143 players who were eligible, with eligibility being determined by playing in at least 58 games and at least 24 minutes per game, with stats measured on a per-minute basis to balance out the field.
Finishing behind Green were Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace, Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort and Daniels.
Green is the second player to have both won a Defensive Player of the Year award and the Hustle Award in his career, joining three-time hustle winner Marcus Smart. Thunder guard Alex Caruso won the award last year with the Chicago Bulls, while the other prior winners are Smart, Thaddeus Young (2021), Montrezl Harrell (2020), Amir Johnson (2018) and Patrick Beverley (2017).
