Gilbert Arenas was a phenomenal NBA player during his short-lived prime. The former scoring champion has long been appreciated for his incredible offensive skill-set and has turned his notoriety into a successful post-NBA media career. However, Arenas often makes comments that land him in hot water, as he did recently about Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Arenas had done something similar during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, criticizing Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green for a few bad performances. However, in this case, Arenas comments weren’t met with controversy but with a message from Draymond. Arenas elaborated on the same with VladTV.
“He wasn’t playing ‘Draymond Green style.’ Because I made comments about ‘Draymond, if y’all lose this series, I blame you for it, because you’re not doing what you do.’ He didn’t take offense to it. He understood where I was coming from. Yeah, We DM all the time. He understood what I meant. He knows I don’t need you to go out there and try to score 20, pretend you’re the 3-point shooter when your role is to play defense. Make sure everyone else is doing a role. That’s what made you a champion. So, I can’t take away what made you a champ.”
Is Draymond Green’s Impact On The Golden State Warriors Overstated?
Draymond Greens is often credited for being the glue that has allowed the Golden State Warriors to have the success they’ve had. Outside the scoring backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Draymond became the best defender and playmaker on the team. His perceptual awareness of the game makes him an incredible asset, even though he can’t score the ball well.
Green had an injury-riddled 2021-22 season, playing just 46 games in the regular season. In the 36 games the Warriors played without him, they were 19-17, barely keeping their heads above a .500 record. Curry has previously said the Warriors wouldn’t be great without Draymond’s impact on the court.
When Draymond is clicking, the Warriors are unstoppable. Last season proved that the Warriors need Draymond on the floor with Steph and Klay because of his IQ and defensive ability. The numbers may not show it, but Green is inarguably one of the most important players on the Warriors, even in 2022.
