NBA star Draymond Green is a vital member of the Golden State Warriors. Usually, the defense and playmaking he provides help the Warriors reach their maximum potential as a team.
In these Finals, however, his play has been less than ideal. It has gotten so bad, in fact, that Warriors coach Steve Kerr was forced to bench him in Game 4.
It wasn’t until Monday when Kerr dropped this truth bomb on Dray and was left out of those closing minutes.
“This guy has been a champion his whole life,” Kerr said. “He’s had so many big games in the Finals. He was actually really good the other night (in Game 4)… I think too much was made of us just riding a lineup that was working well in the fourth. But that’s what the Finals are about — a lot of hype, and a lot of coverage and hoopla and all that stuff, but you just gotta roll with it.”
"At this point, we know each other pretty well."
Warriors HC Steve Kerr talks adjustments against Celtics ahead of Game 5. #NBAFinals
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Draymond is a competitive guy, and it’s understandable why a player of his caliber might have an issue with being on the bench in the fourth quarter of a Finals game.
Still, he remained humble in the post-game presser.
“Definitely never thrilled coming out of the game with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter in a must-win game. I’m not gonna sit here and act like I was thrilled. I’m a competitor. But, at the end of the day, if that’s what the coach thinks, then I just gotta roll with it. I had to keep my head in the game and whenever I went back in I tried to make some plays. That was just my mindset, don’t make too much of it. I’ve always been on the bandwagon of if you’ve got something that’s wrong with you, you stick with it. This is what it is.”
If the Warriors want to win the series, they’ll need more from Green — that’s for sure. His role as a leader and tone-setter is just too important to who the Dubs are and what they do on a regular basis.
Fortunately, there’s no reason to doubt that his best will come at some point in the series. He has always shown up before, after all.
