{"id":1574182,"date":"2023-07-04T11:15:23","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T15:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1574182"},"modified":"2023-07-04T11:15:24","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T15:15:24","slug":"draymond-green-sounds-off-most-ridiculous-player-taken-ahead-him-2012-nba-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/draymond-green-sounds-off-most-ridiculous-player-taken-ahead-him-2012-nba-draft\/","title":{"rendered":"Draymond Green Sounds Off on the ‘Most Ridiculous' Player Taken Ahead of Him in the 2012 NBA Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite a strong finish to his four-year run at Michigan State, where he averaged 16.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and just under one block per game as a senior, Draymond Green<\/a> sat and waited as 34 players were taken ahead of him the 2012 NBA Draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the Golden State Warriors<\/a>, who took Green early in the second round at No. 35 overall, drafted two players ahead of him, selecting North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes at No. 7 and Vanderbilt center Festus Ezeli at No. 30. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So as you can imagine, Green began his NBA<\/a> career with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. And while it took a minute for that career to truly get rolling, the Michigan native has undoubtedly exceeded expectations as the years have progressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After starting just 13 games in his first two years in the Bay, Green joined the Warriors' starting lineup permanently in 2014-15 and hasn't looked back, helping Golden State to six NBA Finals appearances and four championships. He's been a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection (one Second Team, one Third Team), an eight-time All-Defensive selection (four First Team, four Second Team), and was named the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green certainly isn't the only player from his draft class to find success but is one of just six players to make at least one All-Star team, the others being Anthony Davis (No. 1), Bradley Beal (No. 3), Damian Lillard (No. 6), Andre Drummond (No. 9), and Khris Middleton (No. 39). And of those six, Middleton is the only player not to have earned at least one All-NBA selection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What that means is Green has obviously had a far better pro career than the vast majority of the players selected ahead of him that night in Newark. But there seems to be one selection that still bothers him more than the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draymond Green names the “most ridiculous” player taken ahead of him in the 2012 NBA Draft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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