‘Is offense or defense more important in basketball?’ has the potential to be the next pineapple on pizza debate. There’s just no winners. Why is there an argument over the very design of the game? A better debate would be whether Draymond Green is right or Kevin Durant. Actually, that’s a whole other cringe-fest. Two headstrong guys are trying to prove they can win a ring without the other. So fans brought the receipts.

To recap, season 2 of Netflix’s Starting 5 had Kevin Durant, a sniper on the offense, say this – “You have to score baskets if you want to win a championship… Playing defense, we can get any of y’all in here to bend your legs… that’s easy.”

His former teammate, a defensive juggernaut and one of the best facilitators in the league, Draymond Green, fired back, “Those who don’t believe defense is as valuable as it is, they simply just don’t win.” 

There were some added jabs about people who don’t win not getting to talk, but that’s not relevant. The subject is about offense and defense. Potshots were taken in interviews, tweets were fired, and it’s starting to feel like 2018 again.

They’re debating eras, when KD was and wasn’t in the Bay. It’s at the core, a very sports-oriented debate between two athletes who are experts in two different skill sets. A couple of months ago, Pistons icon Isiah Thomas told Green, “Before KD arrived in Golden State, y’all were on the verge of being remembered for one of the biggest collapses in NBA Finals history,” and Dray agreed. It can’t be undercut that the former teammates have some degree of mutual admiration undercutting their quarrel.

Obviously, fans aren’t sitting on the sidelines of this verbal ping-pong. They dove in and took sides. The most entertaining about this squabble, though, is that fans are disproving both of them.

It’s Draymond Green & Kevin Durant vs their fans

There’s a running theme in what fans have to say. When Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green couldn’t beat LeBron James, they called Kevin Durant to help them over that hump. Kevin Durant left the team, but hasn’t been able to win a title without a point guard like Steph.

While some can say, “Kevin Durant is quite loud for someone who has never won a Championship without Steph & Draymond,” others also can clap back, “Draymond would have the same number of rings as KD if KD didn’t come save GS from LeBron twice .. Durant made him a 4 time champion. KD is 100% right here.” It’s what they accomplished separately that’s a whole other ballgame.

Several statlines and all-time lists emerged with KD’s all-defensive nods that have gotten him very far. In fact, there were times when the Slim Reaper’s defensive ratings outranked Dray, the guy who held Giannis Antetokounmpo to 0-7 (funnily enough, Giannis’s defensive rating beats them both).

Some say, “I mean is Draymond lying ?😂😂” while bringing up an entire compilation of Durant’s offensive faltering to Stephen Curry and his chief enforcer.

But The Chef’s offense and health hampered title runs while up against prime LeBron James. This made fans remind Green who exactly was desperate to call Durant from OKC. “Your guy Curry dropped 17 on 6-for-19 in Game 7 and folded. After the game, you went straight to the parking lot and cried to the greatest offensive weapon alive—Kevin Durant. The next two Finals were won when that weapon hit back-to-back Game 3 daggers.”

Since this began with Starting 5, where KD got emotional about OKC winning their maiden title in 2025, fans also had to point out that the Thunder had the best defensive ratings of the season. “OKC defense last year was one of the best of all time, defense is definitely the #1 formula for winning a ring no matter how good the offense is,” they said. But it’s also about the past, Durant’s time as a Dub specifically.

To Green claiming the defense was “incredible” the year KD was in Golden State, a fan said, “They were 11th in 2018, so ‘incredible’ is a bit extreme. Slightly above average I would say. The other year they won with Kevin Durant they were 2nd, but again it’s a mixed bag. Great offense is unstoppable in basketball, no matter the defense.”

But there’s also the flipside. “Why didn’t gsw 3 peat while Durant was there?” a fan pointed out the irony. “Kd goes down and they lose to the …checks notes….Toronto mf Raptors?! One superstar Kawhi against Steph and Draymond. Embarrassing.”

When someone said, “On a similar note, Draymond saves a defensive possession where Dunns slips, gets the short-roll pass, Post in a 1v2, Draymond peels off in time to contest,” the heart of this argument became obvious. “I get it Durant speaking for what he good at and Draymond speaking for what he good at.”

By proving both of them wrong, Dray and KD are inherently correct. Both their skills are necessary for the game.