"Draymond couldn't have played better than he played Game 7" – Shannon Sharpe at odds with Iman Shumpert's take on Draymond Green suspension in LeBron James-led Cavs' title win
Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless rewound the clock to discuss Draymond Green's Game 5 suspension in the 2016 NBA Finals.
The Golden State Warriors held a 3-1 series advantage over the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning Game 4 by 11 points. In that game, Draymond Green received a flagrant foul for swiping at lebron-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">LeBron James' groin. It was his fourth flagrant foul of the playoffs, triggering an automatic suspension.
Would the Warriors have won the 2016 Finals if Draymond wasn't suspended?
"No. It would be a compelling argument if it were Game 7 and winner takes all. But Draymond was there for Games 6 and 7 and he could not have played better than he did in Game 7." — @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/bAya95vkHI
The discussion was sparked by an ex-Cavalier, shumpert" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Iman Shumpert, who was recently on “The Bootleg Kev Podcast.” Shumpert replied to questions on how the series would have played out had Green not picked up the suspension:
“It’d be tough. They’re (the Warriors) a different ball club when they’re with him (Green).”
Green was out for Game 5, as the Cavaliers mounted a comeback. They won the remaining games, taking the series in Game 7. Green returned to play Games 6 and 7, but it was the Cavaliers’ turn to make an impact in the series.
“If I did play Game 5, everything is different. I’ll always hold that view. But what I don’t hold is the regret. I don’t regret it at all . . . Because I don’t regret anything.”
- Draymond Green on suspension in 2016 NBA Finals https://t.co/xhkQsQ4Qfg
When posed with the question on how much the suspension affected the Warriors, Shannon Sharpe said:
“Shump(ert) would have a compelling argument, if it was Game 7, winner take all, Skip. ... Draymond missed Game 5. LeBron and Kyrie goes off. I think LeBron had 41, 16 that game. But Draymond was there Game 6 and 7.”
Shannon Sharpe said Game 7 of the 2016 Finals showcased the best of Green.
Sharpe said:
“Draymond has never, ever played a game like he played Game 7, before or after. Skip, he went 32, 15 and 9. He was 6 of 8 from 3(-point range). Draymond couldn't have played better than what he played Game 7.”
Green had a relatively quiet Game 6, logging eight points, 10 rebounds and six assists. But LeBron James was unstoppable, totaling 41 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in 43 minutes, to force a Game 7.
By virtue of its better regular-season record, Golden State hosted Game 7 at its home court, Oracle Arena. It was all they could ask for, going into a do-or-die situation.
Bayless and Sharpe found it surprising that the comments on Draymond’s absence impacting the series came from an opponent and not a teammate.
Shumpert’s comments did not sway Sharpe, as he felt the Warriors still had an advantage despite Green missing Game 5.
LeBron James & Draymond Green discuss how they felt during Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2016.
https://t.co/jlb7t9pOIe
In the final game of the series, Green had one of the best nights of his career. He scored 32 points on 73.3% shooting, grabbed a whooping 15 rebounds and was one assist short of a triple-double. The "Splash Brothers" – the Warriors' Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson – shot poorly.
Meanwhile, James logged a triple-double with 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in the 93-89 win. The Cavaliers completed a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit, a feat which had never been done before in NBA history.