Home/NBA

via Getty

via Getty

The Golden State Warriors came into the night with a mission. The three pillars of the franchise, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, were going to go on one last run before Father Time decided to do what it wanted with them. Yet, they were no match against the physicality of a Sacramento team that was looking for retribution. And just like that, the Warriors bid adieu to their playoff hopes with a 94-118 loss.

But what was even more heartbreaking than possibly the end of Steph’s legacy was the struggles of the second-best shooter on the team. The other half of the Splash Brother was pretty much gasping for air in what was a sinking ship tonight. Klay finished the night with the worst record of his career – 0 points in 32 minutes, zero-of-ten shooting, and all of his threes stubbornly refusing to reach their mark.

USA Today via Reuters

It was easy to pour all the blame on the hapless Thompson. He might even be blaming himself for ruining the night. But even amongst such depressing circumstances, one NBA analyst seems to have found the 4x champion to be not guilty. According to Nick Wright, not even blaming Steve Kerr for all the team’s difficulties this season is logical. In fact, the perpetrator here is none other than Draymond Green.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

“I do not think, even close to the most important thing an NBA coach does is manage lineups,” Wright said. “On a team that has one of the most difficult to manage people who’s mattered in a real way in NBA history, in Draymond Green, and he’s only gotten more erratic.”

He further added that Green’s “escalating nonsense” is perhaps the biggest blemish on the Dubs now. Draymond’s on-court antics had taken a whole new level this season. From his infamous Rudy-Gobert chokehold to recent tense situations, the Dub Nation usually holds their breath for fear of something hitting the veteran forward the wrong way and all hell breaks loose.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

But the one point that he made is that cutting off Steve Kerr or for that matter, any one of the core, would be a massive loss in the “relationship capital.” There is no arguing that the group of Kerr, Steph, Klay, and Dray were key components in bringing back the Warriors to the dynasty they were.

Nick Wright had gone off for the Warriors’ folly in trading Poole

The FS1 analyst wasn’t just unhappy with Draymond Green. Wright held nothing back as he launched a passionate rant against the GSW’s front office. He targeted their decision to trade Jordan Poole. “Traded away their best young player for a “win-now” 78-year-old Chris Paul.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Poole was a favorite with the Warriors fans. But more importantly, he was incredible with the team. He averaged 20.4 points with 4.5 assists per game last season. Despite a few sloppy turnovers and the more serious Poole-Green altercation, Jordan was their best young talent.

But the past is the past. Of course, given how the season has ended for the Warriors, we will be looking at some major changes. With the Wizards’ Poole experiment failing, who knows, maybe it will be an episode of the Prodigal Son Returns? Thoughts?