As players enter the final years of their professional careers, it is normal for their productivity to drop. In this regard, while Charles Barkley‘s tenure with the Houston Rockets was far from being his best, Draymond Green may have stepped over the line by taking a jab at the NBA legend.
During a recent broadcast of “Inside the NBA,” Draymond Green and Charles Barkley got into some heated debates. While some of the topics were about the games, others went further below the belt, as Barkley dismissed the Warriors’ chances of winning another title.
In response, as the crew was discussing Green’s future and his chances of winning a title at this late stage in his career, Green took a jab at Barkley, stating:
“I think the goal is just to not look like you in a Houston Rockets uniform. It’s ultimately the goal for us. Like, we don’t want to…”
Although Barkley attempted to prod Draymond Green into sharing more details, the Warriors‘ forward remained largely silent, suggesting that he was a witness to Barkley’s decline.
For all intents and purposes, Charles Barkley’s four-year stint with the Houston Rockets was the worst stretch of his career. But is Draymond Green truly justified in making such a comment?
Statistically, Barkley was far more impactful than Green in the latter stages of his NBA career.
During his tenure with the Rockets, Barkley averaged 16.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. In addition to this, Barkley also boasted a +4.0 plus/minus rating over those four years.
In comparison, over the last four seasons, Green averaged 8.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46.4% from the field along with a +0.5 plus/minus rating.
Needless to say, the argument isn’t in Green’s favor, but there are still some intricacies that are worth noting.
For starters, Charles Barkley joined the Rockets ahead of the 1996-97 season, teaming up with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler to beat Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
At 33, Barkley wasn’t at his best, but he was still in All-Star form. With averages of 19.2 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, he played a vital role in helping Houston secure a 57-25 record in the regular season. Meanwhile, at the same age, Green averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.
Although he was coming off a title run with the Warriors when he turned 33 (2022-23 season), Draymond Green did not carry the offensive or rebounding load Barkley did. However, considering his role as a defensive anchor, it can be argued that the forward was equally vital.
This debate is slightly skewed because of how their roles differed. Charles Barkley spent the majority of his career as the primary scoring option on every team he was a part of. On the other hand, Draymond Green made a name for himself as a defensive stopper and a facilitator.
It goes without saying that none of this justifies Green’s jab at Barkley. However, from the perspective of winning titles, Green may be speaking from a place of more experience.
