carbs and stayed after practice for extra conditioning. He finally shed the 20 pounds that slowed him. "He's slimmed down," says NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, a Golden State consultant. "It's not a cut, NBA body. Yet he's one of the top players in the league."

Green has none of the easy grace common to NBA superstars. On defense, while other players tend toward a nonchalant smoothness, Green roams in a constant, poised coil, his elbows flared, his fingers stretched, his stance often crouched. On offense, he powers downcourt with the ball, commanding fast breaks with his feet slightly splayed, his gait slightly hitched. He dunks strongly but with little flourish. His jumper -- which often flies a little too flat -- lacks the repeatable rhythm of thatof Curry or Klay Thompson, who look stylish even with one second on the clock. Consider Green's game-icing 3 in a recent win against Atlanta: rising off balance, hips rotating in a scattershot way, legs spread wide. Green himself called it a heave.

Green's play speaks even louder than his words -- he's the only player to rank in the top 15 in assists (7.4) and rebounds (9.6) per game. Nick Laham for ESPN

ALL SEEING, ALL KNOWING

Ron Adams, the demanding architect of Golden State's defense, tells a story that serves as Exhibit A for how Green transcends his on-court awkwardness into teamwide leadership. The Warriors faced Oklahoma City in early February. The Thunder have a rookie guard, Cameron Payne, who plays like a savvy veteran. "Shoots the 3 real