“Wake the f**k up, or go sit the f**k down” said Draymond Green to Buddy Hield, as the Warriors-Suns matchup went underway. It is no secret that Draymond Green does not have the best reputation when it comes to going easy on his teammates. To confirm that, all one needs to go is ask Kevin Durant and, most importantly, Jordan Poole. Therefore, when Buddy Hield was acquired by the Warriors during the recent off-season, he had to get along well with Stephen Curry AND Green. From the looks of it, however, Hield’s recent performance may have gotten him on the bad side of the power forward. Fortunately, he was there to present his side of the story.

The Golden State Warriors won the recent matchup against the Phoenix Suns by a 109-105 score. Despite this, Draymond Green yelling at Buddy Hield may have been on the back of the minds of many. During the post-game presser, Draymond Green believed that he needed to give out the criticism.

“I know what it looks like to win. I know what it takes to win. So, as a leader, it’s on you to figure out what it takes to help this team win” said Green. “And if that’s mixing it up with a guy every now and then, if that’s yelling, then you do that, but don’t be the guy that can’t be yelled at, and I’ll never be that guy. You know, a teammate yell at me, great. I may say something back ‘Oh well, guess what, Buddy says something back to me.’ We’re not dictators. Just what you say doesn’t go and everyone has to listen.”

Draymond Green made the following remarks after Buddy Hield had delivered his poorest performance of the season. During his 15 minutes on the court, the shooting guard ended up scoring 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 1 assist! On the shooting front, Hield ended up delivering 0-7 field goals, 0-7 three-pointers, and 0-0 free throws. 5 minutes remained in the game, and the Warriors held only a 1-point lead. Therefore, the ineffectiveness from Hield’s side was reason enough for Green to be visibly angry at his new teammate.

“We need Buddy Hield to play great. We need Buddy Hield to make shots, and we have all the confidence in the world that Buddy will make shots. But we got a post-feed, and you got a six-foot guy on you, get the ball there. It’s simple,” said Green. “We’re 16 to 15, we don’t love this. So, do we just keep doing the same thing and sit back on our hands like ‘Oh it’s going to change at some point’ or do you make a change?”

As highlighted by a Warriors assistant coach, Buddy Hield was 1 of 2 players that could help fill the gap left by Klay Thompson’s exit. For the most part, Hield stayed true to this prediction. After all, he went on to average 21.2 points and 13.2 points during October and November, respectively.

The same earned him praise from both Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr. The latter even stated “He (Hield) brings so much energy to the floor, and part of it is the way he plays, seeking those shots and seeking the 3s, and spurning the floor. He runs so hard, both directions, and sets a tone.” Highlighting the role that Hield also played in uplifting the spirit of his teammates, Kerr added “What he brings to the team goes way beyond just his shooting.” Now, however, Hield is being unable to lift the spirit of at least one of his teammates.

The fact that the criticism came from Draymond Green would have certainly had an effect on the player. After all, the new acquisition certainly holds some respect for the four-time champion.

Buddy Hield had once called it a ‘joy’ to play besides Draymond Green: “He is the heartbeat of this team”

When joining the Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green is one teammate against whom a player would know to tread lightly. After all, for some, his incidents with Kevin Durant and Jordan Poole should be enough. His extra competitive side has also shown through his history with Rudy Gobert. Despite this, during his early with the Bay Area franchise, Hield found Green as welcoming as a teammate could be. Joining radio host Jim Rome for a conversation in early November, Hield revealed how Green helped with his two-way impact. Other than that, his leadership skills and chemistry with Stephen Curry left the shooting guard in awe.

“He is the heartbeat of this team. It’s such a joy to be around him,” said Hield. “The thing that perception they put out there it’s always outside noise until you’re really there, being around a person and you get to feel their vibe, their energy.”

The honeymoon period seems to be over now. If Draymond Green was giving positive vibes around Hield earlier, then he will certainly take a stricter approach now. After all, currently under a 16-15 record, the Warriors cannot afford any more mistakes.