Rank the top 10 seasons between Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green

[LA Bird]

Two players of the same age currently in the nomination pool for the top 100 project. How would you rank their best seasons?

[AEnigma]

These are always tough for me but ranges here are 2015-19 for Draymond and 2017-23 for Butler. So right there I guess I am giving a slight prime advantage to Butler.

I think 2016 Draymond is the top year here, buoyed by an impressive and consistent postseason (the latter often an issue for Butler) and some outlier shooting all year. Where I struggle more is ordering Butler’s seasons.

Initial attempt is probably something like:

1. 2016 Draymond
2. 2017 Draymond (understand those who downgrade this for the “easy mode” aspects of the year)
3-6. Miami Butler (all basically the same for me just with variance in health and shooting)
7. 2017 Butler (athletic peak but less savvy and proven in postseason setting)
8. 2015 Draymond
9/10. 2018 Butler and Draymond (too close to call)

[MiamiBulls]

1.2016 Draymond
2.2022 Butler
3.2017 Draymond
4.2018 Draymond
5.2019 Butler
6.2015 Draymond
7.2023 Butler
8.2020 Butler
9.2021 Butler
10. 2019 Draymond

[ShotCreator]

16 Draymond
15 Draymond
17 Draymond
20 Butler
22 Butler
18 Draymond
19 Draymond
17 Butler
18 Butler
19 Butler

15 Draymond might be an all-time underrated season. He was pretty much 16 Draymond in a worse role for the offense next to Bogut instead of any consistent small ball.

But the 15 Warriors had a better defense than offense in both RS and PS, and specifically had the best defensive postseason since the 08 Celtics.

That was a hellacious prime Draymond season. He rated out better than Curry across multiple impact metrics.

Heat Butler is really good but lower on defensive ability than in his younger years and it gives me pause. He probably peaked in the bubble where he was most healthy and focused though.

[trex_8063]

Top three, imo, are Jimmy Butler '20, '22-'23 [in some order, not sure].

Then I give Draymond 4th place with his '16 run.

Then I'm probably back to Jimmy for 5th, maybe with '17.

Then the next five probably a combination of 2-3 from each of them: '15, '17-'18 for Draymond most likely in there; two [maybe three] of '15, '18, '19, or '21 in there for Jimmy).

So I see Jimmy having at least 6 of the top 10 between them, including all of the top 3. After that top three it's pretty even between them (with Draymond perhaps even having the slight edge in position within that 4-10 range).

[Ben AN]

23 Jimmy
22 Jimmy
20 Jimmy
18 JImmy
17 Jimmy
19 Jimmy
15 Jimmy
16 Jimmy
16 Draymond
17 Draymond
I don't have a low overall opinion on Draymond, I just view Jimmy's best years very highly. The order of the Jimmy years is mainly due to postseason performance and on ball primacy. These were Draymond's best offensive and probably defensive seasons.