The Los Angeles Lakers walked away with a 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors in a phenomenal Christmas Day clash. Stephen Curry and LeBron James each put on a show, but it’s not like Draymond Green didn’t have a memorable moment of his own.
Green is known to be an aggressive player who skirts on the edge of the rules, but one particular free throw box-out saw him directly interlock his hands with Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht and pull the pair to the ground with him in what looked like a moment out of the WWE.
WTF DRAYMOND
DIRTY ASS PLAY ALMOST HURT 2 LAKERS WITH THIS WWE MOVE pic.twitter.com/gx2AgRcPs5
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) December 26, 2024
Plays like this are always going to be risky due to the danger of potential shoulder injuries, so moments like this should be charged with flagrant to deter players. A personal foul seems like too small a penalty for the ramifications it can have. The fact that Green did this in the fourth quarter further shows how players can exploit the rules or push referees into making challenging decisions that can impact clutch time.
Green had a woeful showing, putting up three points (1-6 FG), 10 rebounds, and six assists. He was thoroughly outplayed by the two players he tried pulling down as well, with Hachimura putting up a solid 18 points (6-12 FG) while Knecht had 13 points (5-9 FG).
Draymond is known to be heavy-handed on the court, but this was yet another quiet performance by the defensive ace who had no answer for LeBron James tonight, had LeBron put up 31 points (12-22 FG) and 10 assists despite Green’s best efforts in guarding him.
Golden State has worsened to 3-11 in their last 14 games and looks to be freefalling down the West standings. They’re 15-14 now, sitting in the same 10th seed they occupied at the end of last season. The lack of improvement could push the franchise into making bold roster decisions over the winter.
No matter how many bad games Draymond has, he likely will remain safe in the locker room. We saw Klay Thompson fall out with the organization and leave, but Green seems to be more loyal to the franchise and will be protected.
If the Warriors are to make a big trade like acquiring Jimmy Butler, they will do it to add him to a core featuring Draymond’s defensive prowess. He’s averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds. and 5.6 assists this season.
The fire Draymond brings to the court motivates the Warriors and adds some defensive fire to the roster, but moves like the one he executed today are objectively dangerous. We’ve seen players get shoulder dislocations in situations like that, so it’d be best to be more careful other than risk hurting a fellow professional.
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