When we talk about future Hall of Famers, what are the criteria we look at? Rings, consistency, All-Star appearances, legacy and longevity are the basic prerequisites to be considered in the prestigious conversation. If these are indeed our criteria, Draymond Green can say he is a future Hall of Famer. But, what if Draymond wasn’t picked by the Warriors where he went on to be part of a dynasty? That’s a lot to speculate about.

But speculation is the beauty of a debate. Facts will mean nothing if there’s a hypothesis to begin with. How different would it have been if another California team selected Draymond, the Sacramento Kings?

The Numbers On The Board podcast was ready for this discussion in their latest episode. When the topic came about if Draymond is a future HOF-er, the hosts agreed “1000%”. But the tune changed when they took the hypothetical route and imagined if Draymond was picked 36th overall in the 2012 draft and the next pick by the Kings. Darrick Miller said, “Draymond is a very, like, emotional player and everything like that. I also think he really did luck out having Steph Curry as his teammate, that was able to put up with that.” According to the ESPN employee, Draymond’s emotional side would’ve hindered his growth if he wasn’t with Curry and Klay Thompson.

Co-host PeeWeeDaPlug also highlighted the fact that playing alongside Steph and Klay was much different from what he’d have experienced around Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. Boogie is also known for his volatile nature and that might have caused a major issue within the franchise. Later on in their career, their paths collided in the Dubs when Cousins signed for them for the 2018-19 season. They concluded that Draymond going somewhere else other than the Warriors would’ve affected his career. That career might even have been like DeMarcus Cousins.

How Draymond Green could’ve had a fate similar to DeMarcus Cousins?

Love him or hate him, there’s no way to deny Draymond’s court IQ. His isolations, screens, and rim protection made him one of the top defensive stars of the league. The same can be pointed out for Cousins. The 34-year-old center has the same number of All-Star appearances as Draymond but lacks the 4 championships Green has. The duo even discussed this during a recent episode of the Draymond Green Show. Cousins was the guest of honor in the podcast as they examined their career paths.

“There’s passion, and there’s attitude. They live in the same house, but the difference is how they’re characterized and categorized,” Green said. “I remember you said something to me in 2018, ‘Man, we’re the same. And they say you got passion, and they say I’m crazy and got an attitude,’ I was like, ‘Cous, you’re f**** crazy, we ain’t the same.’ And what you said was, ‘Nah, but ya’ll be winning. So, they say yours is passion. I haven’t won much, so they say mine is an attitude, and I can’t be coached, and I’m crazy, and this and that,’ and I say all of that to say, I’m sorry because you was right.”

Draymond’s plethora of on-court tantrums are well documented and so are Boogie’s. Cousins broke Dwight Howard’s tech foul record in 2017 after picking up his 17th of the season. Had Draymond found himself in place of Cousins, he could’ve faced the same fate. But the Warriors fans can thank their luck that the franchise nabbed Green, who went on to become one of the most successful second-round picks ever.