Draymond Green’s impact has always gone way past his box score numbers. His ability to switch one through five and playmake from anywhere on the floor makes him invaluable to the Golden State Warriors. However, the team is struggling to stay above .500. One NBA analyst called out the 36-year-old for playing poorly while criticizing the media.
Nick Wright Does Not Hold Back in Comments Toward Draymond Green
Green feels many NBA media members owe former Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison an apology. Wright published an episode of his “What’s Right?” podcast on March 3 and responded to the Warriors center’s comments.
“I am surprised Draymond has found the time to still be his real passion, sports media critic, while he is in the midst of an unspeakably bad year. Shockingly, ever since Steph went out, his team has fallen apart, and Draymond just completed a month of February where he shot 38% from the floor,” critiqued Wright.
Green put up 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in eight games last month. These numbers are not far off from his season averages. Green’s biggest impact comes on the defensive end, where he can swipe steals, block shots, and guard anyone anywhere on the floor. However, the four-time All-Star did not deliver his normal defensive production.
Green only totaled three steals and two blocks in February. His drop in defensive impact had a major impact on the Warriors’ struggles in February. Golden State had a 4-6 record last month, including a 4-point loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 24.
The Warriors have been a solid defensive team this season. They rank 11th with a 112.9 defensive rating, but this number rose significantly last month. Golden State finished February with a 116.5 defensive rating, which ranked 20th in the association. The team’s defense must improve if it wants to reach a top-six seed, but it has had its share of offensive struggles as well.
Green, Warriors’ Offense Goes Downhill
The Warriors had an offensive rating of 112.0 in February, good for 21st in the league. Stephen Curry has not played since Jan. 30 due to a right knee injury. As a result, the Golden State needed Green to step up his offensive game, but it did not happen.
“… Coming off a month of January where he shot just 40%. He started off March last night, blowing a 17-point lead, shooting 20%…. For the year, you’re at 40, 30, 71 splits on 8, 5, and 5 averages. I maybe wouldn’t be casting too many stones at anybody,” said Wright.
The Warriors cannot afford to flounder on both ends for much longer. They sit six games behind the No. 6 seed Los Angeles Lakers and just two-and-a-half games ahead of the No. 10 seed Portland Trail Blazers. Golden State only has 21 contests left to right the ship before the postseason begins.
