Draymond Green is not only a great athlete, but is one of the NBA’s most fundamentally sound players — especially when considering his power forward/center position.
Where does he learn those fundamentals? The Golden State Warriors star told Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated that his overall game is honed not by watching fellow NBA players, but the athletes in the WNBA.
“In the NBA there’s always a guy who is only around because he can jump,” Green says. “He doesn’t have a clue about the fundamentals. I learn more from the WNBA. They know how to dribble, how to pivot, how to use the shot fake.”
Indeed. While the NBA game is often played above the rim with pure athleticism, that game is extremely rare (all but non-existent) in the WNBA. Instead, the women’s game is more dependent on the overall fundamentals.
More basketball players at all levels would do well to follow Green’s example on this one. He’s one of basketball’s most complete players, and really, this is not a small reason why.
Fantastic athleticism cannot be taught. No amount of time watching film will help anyone jump like Zach LaVine, nor will it help anyone run like Russell Westbrook or John Wall.
While none of that can be taught, the fundamentals can.
Obviously, one still has to be a great athlete to make it to the NBA, let alone become an All-Star like Draymond Green.
But while there are plenty of great athletes in the league, there aren’t many stars. As Green’s example shows us, when great athletes learn great fundamentals, they become stars.
The WNBA is a great place to learn those fundamentals.