Draymond Green’s struggles in Game 3 of the NBA Finals have drawn him a storm of criticism. Going ahead in this series, the Golden State Warriors have a lot of work to do, and it all starts with Draymond Green, their Swiss Army Knife.
Green recorded 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in 35 minutes. His fouls were his top statistic in the box score, as he accumulated six and was fouled out. When asked post-game about his performance, he was frank and labeled it as “sh*t”.
Draymond Green with an all-time quadruple-single tonight:
6 fouls
4 rebounds
3 assists
2 points pic.twitter.com/7zu2rb4bws— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 9, 2022
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Gilbert Arenas, a former Warriors player, was critical of Green’s performance. He feels the forward is to blame if the Warriors lose to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
“If the Warriors don’t win, I’m gonna blame Draymond Green,” Arenas claimed. “The reason is, as someone who knows sports betting, I know how important he is to the actual lines. So I know he is more important to those lines than people would think. So if they lose, it’s because he is not doing what he does, which is…steals, rebounds, pass, defense, blocks, hockey assists. He’s not playing the Draymond Green game. So if they don’t win it’s because he is not playing his game. Tonight (Game 3) was that bullsh*t. Game 2…he did alright.”
“If Draymond Green is not doing what Draymond Green does, they can’t win. You’re not just gonna win with Steph. Remember, Steph is doing what Steph do…Draymond is what helps Klay Thompson. Draymond is what helps the rest of the players who can’t score. (Jordan) Poole is gonna do his own thing. So if Draymond doesn’t do what he does…the 9 assists, the 10 assists…that and that, they lose.”?
Gilbert emphasizes Green’s centrality in the Warriors’ battle plan. He must bring his “glue-guy game” nightly?for the rest of this series, in which he showcases his tenacious defense and improves his teammates through his playmaking ability.
Draymond Green has to show up
Draymond Green needs to break out of his slump if the Warriors are to have a shot to lift the NBA championship. His strengths, especially on the offensive end of the floor, are no longer what they once were. His performance in Game 3 was one of his worst performances, according to Green himself.
“I just let too much noise get into my head about all the other stuff”
—@Money23Green reflects on a difficult Game 3 pic.twitter.com/Jf9Ai8OGL0
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) June 9, 2022
But despite that, he is still a force to be reckoned with. Draymond Green has been the Warriors’ defensive backbone for his entire professional career. Golden State’s defense bears the brunt in his absence or whenever he fails to show up to his standards.
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When he executes his “in your face” defense, the Warriors fare better, and winning is the usual ending. And, perhaps as importantly, they are a superior team when he is a force on the offensive end as well. Because of his two-way talents and tremendous intensity, he is the Warriors’ premier “tone-setter.”
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If the Warriors want to dismantle the Boston Celtics‘ well-rounded offense and defense, Steve Kerr will have to bring Green back to his sharpest, and Green himself will have to flip the switch.