Draymond Green's dream to win his second Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award came to a bittersweet end when he fell short behind Dyson Daniels of Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley, the new DPOY winner.

With this failing expectation, Green will have to shift his focus to the most important goal: beating the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Even then, this will prove to be difficult for the No. 7 Golden State Warriors as the No. 2 Rockets equalized the series in their latest meeting.

Draymond Green Takes Third in Defensive Player of the Year Balloting

Draymond Green Falls Short in DPOY Race as Golden State Draymond Green Falls Short in DPOY Race as Golden State
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The league announced that Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley won the Defensive Player of the Year award with 35 first-team votes. New Orleans Pelicans' Dyson Daniels was second with 25 first-team votes, followed by Green in third place with 15 first-team votes.

Despite his reputation as one of the league's most versatile defenders and vocal leaders, Green couldn't crack the top two. He ended the voting with a total of 154 points, including 20 second-place and 19 third-place votes.

Green's Defensive Impact Still Felt Across the League

At 35 years old, Draymond Green remains the heartbeat of Golden State's defense. This year, he averaged 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. More significantly, he had respectable defensive statistics—1.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game—while playing multiple positions and being the Warriors' defensive anchor.

Though Green campaigned for the award publicly earlier this season, referring to it as perhaps his last chance given his age, the third-place finish is already enough to prove that he still can compete with the younger players. He even said that the Warriors will be the 2025 NBA Finals champions after the Jimmy Butler trade.

With Game 3 coming on Saturday night at the Chase Center, Green will not hold back to show what he's got against the Rockets, according to Athlon Sports. A sweet 2-1 advantage could give them some relief, at least for the coming days.

Golden State took Game 1 in Houston but faltered in Game 2. Now that the series is tied, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and the rest of the Warriors will have to dig deep into every ounce of experience and toughness to move further into the playoffs. They might play without Butler next game.

One Last Run for the Golden State Dynasty?

The Warriors are faced with an aging roster, but their young shooters will prove to be one of the best supporting players of this playoffs.

Missing out on the DPOY award is a small detour for Draymond Green. The ultimate prize, a championship ring, is still out there. Charles Barkley said that the Rockets have more talent than the Dubs. He believed that a Game 1 loss did not mean anything for Houston.

And for Golden State, that prize remains crystal clear.