Basketballers do their talking on the court, but Stephen A. Smith does his with a camera and a monologue. ESPN’s $100 million man is one of the most recognized sports figures in the world due to his daily coverage and national appeal — and he’s using that privilege once again to aim at another top NBA superstar. This time, Draymond Green drew the short straw.
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The Warriors lost a tough one to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, succumbing 96-106. While Draymond wasn’t the sole reason for the loss, he only had 2 points and did pick up a flagrant foul and a technical foul on two separate plays. Smith and the ESPN crew spoke about the four-time NBA Champion’s issues with obeying the rules and whether he can be trusted for this upcoming postseason.
“I say yes but with trepidation,” admitted Smith regarding trusting Draymond. However, like most Smith deep dives, he used the future Hall of Famer’s own actions against him to make a larger point.
“Those are two occasions when you are looking at the Golden State Warriors and their postseason aspirations were derailed because of you,” a bold Smith stated. “That can’t happen again.”
SAS reminded Green about him infamously getting ejected from Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals, a series the Dubs would go on to lose. He believes that Green getting suspended at the end of last season cost the Warriors a playoff appearance.
It also doesn’t help that Green remains the most controversial and polarising figure in the Warriors’ squad and perhaps, the entire NBA. Green’s former teammate at the Warriors, Marreese Speights had echoed SAS’s current sentiments 9 years ago when he had said in an interview about the 2016 finals, “Draymond f—ed up practice and s—. Draymond’s a good guy, but at the end of the day, it hurts the whole chemistry of the year.”
It is being argued that Green’s fallouts with the likes of Kevin Durant and Jordan Poole have also denied the Warriors more glory. His volatile temperament and tough-love mentality towards his teammates might not work in the modern era. It could be said that the Warriors’ loyalty towards Green is a double-edged sword and he is surviving on purely his talent at the moment.
Although Green himself admits that the addition of Jimmy Butler was much-needed for the team and both of them have got along well so far. Steph Curry has got some much-needed support as well.
SAS did give Dray his props though and called him his DPOY candidate. But it’s because of his fantastic play that Smith believes Green is more important than ever. “You compromise your position, you compromise the Golden State Warriors.”
This assessment from Smith comes days after Draymond said he was “baffled” by SAS claiming he would have swung on LeBron following their incident in early March. What did he say exactly?
Draymond Green didn’t hold back on the famed analyst
Green has used his podcast as a platform to address any and all controversies in the league, and for the month of March, there was nothing bigger than SAS vs. LBJ. That said, Green did think SAS deserved to have some “hands put on him” for the way he ran his mouth against LeGOAT.
“When you talk like that where I’m from you get hands put on you. Trying to use my basketball career and things that have happened on the basketball court to try to use it against me for my next career. I saw him doing that,” shouted Green.
“What I’m saying like yo you’ve had moments before you need to not say nothing about hands but then you know you start talking about swinging on someone,” he added.
Is Smith’s analysis on Green just convenient timing or was he purposefully calling out the player who just took sides with his newest enemy? Most likely the former. Smith has proven that he holds a grudge, but his analysis on Draymond being an essential part for the Warriors’ playoff birth is not wrong.
What’s also not wrong is how quickly Draymond Green can turn. He is a DPOY candidate — and has been for most of his career. But he’s also the player who talked trash about Karl-Anthony Towns missing a game for a funeral, then doubling down on it days later.
Here’s to hoping that the NBA playoffs are more about the ball than it is about drama.
