Though the Golden State Warriors are getting a bit of a break in having to defend an All-NBA talent on Monday and Tuesday when they face off against the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls, respectively, it's a well-deserved rest after the gauntlet they just ran over the past four games.

The trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves for the Lakers, the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun in Houston, and most recently, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all posed high threat levels as stars that could warp a game around them if not given the right defensive attention.

Though they went 1-3 in those games, the Warriors did a solid job subduing those players, for the most part, especially considering the rotation of healthy bodies they were working with. This is largely due to one man being able to hold down the fort on defense: Draymond Green.

It's no secret that Green is an elite defender, potentially one of the best the NBA has ever seen. However, he did also just turn 36 years old, and most of these players were wings or guards, making it an atypical defensive matchup for the power forward.

That's no matter for Green, though, and Steve Kerr made sure to shout that out.

"It excites him when we give him a task of, ‘You guard the best player.’ I think he loves it. He’s so up for the challenge. He’s still one of the great defensive players in the game. … Give Draymond the toughest task and have a big guy behind him. It’s a good formula."

Especially with Kristaps Porzingis now available to roam in the paint as he did on Saturday against the Thunder, it opens up even more opportunities for Green to do what he loves best on the basketball court.

"To draw those responsibilities at this point of my career is amazing, and it energizes me a lot."

The Warriors' defensive formula, centered around Green, was especially effective against both Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun in the Warriors' upset win over the Rockets this past Thursday. Durant had just 23 points on 8-16 shooting, while Sengun had just 17 points and shot 8-20 from the field — both notably under their season averages for points and efficiency.

Green and Horford were particularly dominant in that game. Both had multiple highlight-worthy defensive stops on the two Houston All-Stars, and the help defense behind them when they would be on an island against either Durant on the perimeter or Sengun in the post gave that safety blanket in the event they were beaten.

Even with Green's age and the big assignments he draws on most nights, he's still been an elite defender. His 1.7 defensive win shares rank second on the team, just behind Brandin Podziemski, and his defensive box plus/minus of 1.1 is third amongst the Warriors' rotation players.

His versatility and defensive leadership are what made him the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year and 9x All-Defensive Selection, and though those high honors may be behind him, there's no doubt he's still a top-notch defender.