Love him or hate him, there’s no disputing Draymond Green‘s status as a winning player in the modern NBA. The Golden State Warriors dynasty wouldn’t have won four championships without Draymond’s presence as a leader and defensive presence. While he needed the Warriors to succeed, he has maximized his personal contributions to their success.
Green knows what it takes to win but decided to throw some unprompted shots at New York Knicks‘ center Karl-Anthony Towns on social media, attacking the All-Star center’s mindset and defensive effort.
“KAT in a full front on Joker… even if you win the game it don’t matter. You will never hold the respect from an opponent to win at the highest level… Pride must make you sit down and guard, even if you give up 40… Winning is a mindset, and in order to win a championship.”
“You have to win the mental edge… that’s why only a few guys per era win all the championships… They understand that Thing.”
Why did this attack come 20 minutes before Draymond was scheduled to play against the OKC Thunder for the Warriors? Was he so locked into the New York Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets game that he couldn’t wait till his next podcast episode to attack Towns?
KAT had a disappointing night against the Nuggets, scoring 14 points (6-12 FG_ with 10 rebounds and five assists. He was a -1 in the 10-point win, struggling against Nikola Jokic in the matchup. Jokic didn’t have an explosive night either, ending with 17 points (6-15 FG), six rebounds, and six assists. The Knicks won the game 122-112.
Both centers had quiet nights but I don’t see why that was a reason to criticize Towns so specifically. Let’s not forget that Towns has a Playoff series win over Jokic as his primary matchup, eliminating the Nuggets with the Minnesota Timberwolves last Playoffs. Towns averaged 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds in that series, so maybe his downward swing in numbers is something Draymond remembers.
The Knicks are genuine contenders, winning this game in spite of Karl’s quiet night. They are a defensively active team with two No. 1 options in Towns and Jalen Brunson. While they have mammoths like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers to get through, the Knicks being a potential champion isn’t unfathomable.
Towns is averaging 24.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists this season, recently being named as an All-Star starter in the Eastern Conference.
As for where we are today, Draymond’s Warriors are in danger of missing the Playoffs entirely. His past as a champion is unquestionable, but to scant Towns amidst one of the best seasons of his career on a winning franchise isn’t fair. He might fall apart in the Playoffs, but it isn’t fair to presume that as the outcome until we see it play out.
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