Warriors forward/center Draymond Green has won the NBA’s Hustle Award for the 2024/25 season, the league announced today (story via Brian Martin of NBA.com).
The Hustle Award has been around since the ’16/17 campaign. Unlike other postseason awards, it is not voted on by the media.
Instead, the award goes to the player who has the top composite ranking in nine “hustle stats” — charges drawn, deflections, screen assists, contested two-point shots, contested three-point shots, offensive loose balls recovered, defensive loose balls recovered, offensive box outs, and defensive box outs.
As Martin writes, Green didn’t lead the NBA in any of those nine categories, but he was in the top 15 in five and became the first winner in the award’s history to rank in the top 40 in all nine.
The Hustle Award is meant to honor players “who make the effort plays that don’t often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis,” per Martin.
Green, who finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting this season, was runner-up for the Hustle Award on two other occasions, Martin notes. Thunder guard Cason Wallace finished second behind Green, with Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele, Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels rounding out the top five.
Thunder swingman Alex Caruso won the Hustle Award in ’23/24 while playing for the Bulls. Wizards guard Marcus Smart has won the award three times.
Is this the DPOY consolation prize award
Nah…
This is the let’s make Draymond be quiet for a bit award…
He has no chance at DPOY with a healthy Wemby and Chet…
I’m a fan of these types of awards. still somewhat subjective in choosing stats that go towards it, but an ultimately objective combo of various underappreciated parts of the game. Creative and refreshing. Need more like this
I love the late/close “clutch game” stats. Not sure why Brunson won over Joker, because…
link to nba.com
Up next this league will have ‘mascot of the year award’.
Bronny would win that one
Only thing bulls would win for quite some time.
With how this is worded, how is this not the DPOY?
Good question, but we love to hold the media chosen awards to higher levels for whatever reason
Because the best defenders don’t always make their mark known through the statistics described here
Where do they make their mark? Eye test?
For example, maybe instead of looking at the number of contested shots, you look at a rate stat, such as opponent shooting percentage on contested shots.
Moreover, if someone’s a true lockdown defender, you would expect that opponents would be less offensively efficient when they’re on the floor.
There’s also something to be said about on/off numbers and being an important defensive cog from a team-wide perspective (as opposed to simply being a good individual defender). This is why some NBA analysts aren’t as enthused with someone like Dyson Daniels as others
The what award?
“Dirty Dra” ——— Hustles the refs constantly .. ha ha hi hi ho ho . Hustler all right….
NBA Communications: Golden State Warriors forward-center Draymond Green is the winner of the 2024-25 NBA Hustle Award. The award honors a player who makes the effort plays that do not often appear in the box score but help determine team success.
Source: x.com
“who make the effort plays that don’t often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis.”
NPPG (Nut Punches per game)
CHAPG (Choke holds applied per game)
ETPG (Elbows thrown per game)
LSAPG (Leg sweeps attempted per game)
Etc…
Winning comment so far…
Those are the intangibles that Draymond is famous for…
GTA – grab the arm
HUJ – Hold on to uniforms on jump
See, the NBA actually does like Draymond.