Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gets candid about his decision to bench Draymond Green late in the fourth quarter of Game Four in the 2022 NBA Finals.
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The Golden State Warriors are back to being on top of the NBA heap, clinching their 4th title in 8-years. Steve Kerr and his crew have silenced all their critics and naysayers, who had put an asterisk on their previous 3-championships. The Dubs have exhibited the exact definition of championship DNA.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t an easy ride for the Dubs going up against an elite team like the Boston Celtics, particularly for Draymond Green. The veteran forward struggled mightily during the Finals, unable to produce on both ends of the floor but stepped up when it mattered the most.
Green had faced a lot of flak for his performances in the Finals, averaging a horrid 5.0 PPG, 2.0 TPG, and was 0-for-11 from the 3-point line in the first 5-games. However, it was Game Four that served as a turning point for Green in the series.
Recently, head coach Steve Kerr opened up on his decision to bench Green during the final minutes of Game Four in the Finals.
“I didn’t really think much about it when I took Draymond out in Game Four”: Steve Kerr on his bold decision to bench the former DPOY.
Game Four was a must-win situation for the Dubs, who were down 1-2 at the time. Thus some tough calls had to be made by Coach Kerr, who made a bold and crucial decision to pull Green out of the game. The four-time All-Star had 2-points and was 1-for-7 from the field during the game.
Recently, Coach Kerr addressed his decision to bench Green and why he thought it wasn’t a big deal. As the Bay Area celebrated with the parade, Kerr joined Andre Iguodala and co-host Evan Turner on the Point Forward Podcast.
“I’ve been here now 8-years so I know all these guys so well,” said Kerr. “I didn’t really think much about it when I took Draymond out in Game Four because that unit was not doing well, so I was really looking for a shift. And I was thinking I would just take him out for a minute or two and then get him back.”
“In the NBA if you find a group that works, then you stick with it and it doesn’t matter who is on the floor. You can’t worry about anybody’s feelings being hurt or anything like that. So when that group started to play well, I wasn’t paying any attention to the bench, but Andre, you were there and I’ve heard since that you were there talking to Draymond and I’m sure he was staying ready. Sure enough, when the run ended and we went back to him, he was great and made huge plays down the stretch and it all worked out.”
Though Green wasn’t happy with Kerr’s decision, he graciously accepted what was best for the team. Nevertheless, the Warriors forward would earn his stripes back in the championship-clinching Game Six contributing on both ends of the floor.
