Draymond Green has recently come under a lot of fire for his comments on Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, claiming that Kerr held him back from being his best. While a former player like Austin Rivers has slammed Green for making such a statement, NBA legend Reggie Miller has had a more lenient outlook.
On a recent episode of “The Dan Patrick Show,” Miller maintained a fairly neutral stance on Draymond Green’s situation, often defending him by mentioning his career achievements. Although the legend highlighted Green’s greatness at embracing his role, Patrick did not seem convinced.
On that note, he asked Miller whether he would rather have Green’s career or Carmelo Anthony‘s. While both players have undoubtedly had Hall of Fame-worthy careers, Miller responded:
“It’s all about the chips. They’re both going to be Hall of Famers. Melo is a Hall of Famer already, and Draymond is going to be a Hall of Famer. One just has four rings and a Defensive Player of the Year [award].”
Patrick continued to prod lightly, noting the freedom Anthony had to shoot the ball. Miller reacted:
“That’s his game, though. He’s a top 10 scorer. Carmelo is a bona fide bucket, but they’re both Hall of Famers at the end of the day. And one gets to drink bub [champagne] four times. To me, chips matter. They do. Coming from a guy who never won one, they matter.”
In hindsight, this may have been a loaded question on Patrick’s behalf. Given that Reggie Miller never won an NBA championship throughout his career, it was apparent that he would favor the player who had enjoyed four title-winning seasons.
But to his point, it doesn’t undermine Carmelo Anthony’s achievements in the slightest.
When active, Anthony was arguably one of the best scorers in NBA history. Having made a name for himself as an elite player with his back to the basket, Anthony routinely abused one-on-one matchups to dominate the stat sheet.
For his career, Carmelo Anthony averaged 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Considering that his stats saw a massive dip nearing the final years of his career, the fact that his career average remains above 20 points is nothing short of impressive.
Despite Anthony’s individual exploits, which included 10 All-Star selections, a scoring title, and six All-NBA selections, his postseason record of 28-55 is quite underwhelming.
In comparison, Draymond Green has had the benefit of being a part of some of the best rosters ever put together. Over 14 years in the NBA, Green has logged a 112-57 record in the playoffs, including a 4-2 record in the NBA Finals.
Unlike Anthony, Draymond Green was never the offensive focal point for his team. But to say he was less important to the Warriors’ success would also be incorrect.
As the team’s defensive anchor and the primary facilitator, Green played a vital role on both ends of the floor. Although he was essentially a role player, notching a career average of 8.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, Draymond Green is arguably the greatest role player of all time, having achieved four All-Star appearances purely through impact.
Miller was right in noting how valuable Draymond Green was to the Warriors, even referring to him as one of the best defenders he’d ever seen. Still, given that his individual success and rise to greatness have been a result of Kerr’s system, Green’s statement seems out of line.
