Despite being undersized at the power forward position, Draymond Green has established himself as one of the best and most versatile defenders of all time. Standing only 6'6", Dray has been able to hold his ground against players much larger than him, including Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns.
A stout defender who takes pride in what he does night in and out, Draymond has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the league. However, one player stands out above all others for physical dominance: Zion Williamson .
In a recent mailbag session on his podcast, Draymond described facing Zion as an experience that leaves his body battered and bruised the very next day.
Asked to name who he thinks is the hardest player to guard in the shaded lane, Green didn't hesitate to name Zion. A 6'6" powerhouse from Duke whom the New Orleans Pelicans selected first in the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion possesses a rare blend of explosive athleticism and sheer muscle, which he uses to shrug defenses off him like they're nothing.
And when he sets foot in the paint, there's really not much anyone else can do, Draymond included, to prevent him from scoring a bucket.
"I think anytime you play Zion Williamson, it's a head-on collision every play," Green described .
It's one thing for Zion to head to the basket now and then. However, Dray said the North Carolina native is relentless in his pursuit of the rim, making every showdown with him a daunting task.
"One of the things I respect about his game is he never stops going. Every time he gets the ball, he's in attack mode, and it's a collision-type play," Green continued. "I don't know if y'all understand the force that Zion produces."
Draymond's comments about Zion reflect how special the young man is. It takes a lot to earn the former Defensive Player of the Year's respect, so for the veteran forward to give Zion his flowers, it must be well-deserved.
However, while Zion's physicality and athleticism are undeniable, they also raise concerns about his long-term health. The exciting forward has already dealt with several injuries in his young career, including a hamstring issue that restricted him to playing in only 30 games last season. This season, he has already missed 16 games due to injury, which is a significant reason the Pelicans have a miserable 8-22 win-loss record.
However, when Williamson is healthy and engaged, he truly is a force to be reckoned with, even for a tremendous defender like Green.
"So when it's head-on, head-on collision, it's like a forceful a—, like, you taking forceful a— shoulders every time. Like, he's seeking the contact every time. And so I've had my fair share, for sure," Dray relayed. "But just as of late, as of recent, anytime you play Zion, you leave that game like, 'Man, I'm goddamn sore.' Like, it's just a head-on collision every play."
Zion is averaging 21.3 points on 51.1 percent shooting in only 29.2 minutes per game, which is a mighty impressive figure. So one can only imagine the damage he can do when he has a clean bill of health and is given a whole load of minutes.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
