“He made a huge mistake throwing gasoline on the fire”- Charles Barkley critical of Golden State Warriors star’s antics on the road in finals, mentions it’s a “distraction” for young guys on the team

Former NBA player turned analyst Charles Barkley. [Photo source: Sporting News]

Charles Barkley criticized Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green for his antics in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Green's actions on and off the court have provoked Celtics fans, which saw them give the Warriors, especially Draymond, a hostile reception in Games 3 and 4.

Barkley believes that Draymond Green has been a distraction, and the young players on the Warriors have been affected the most.

A ROARING “fuck you Draymond” chant erupts at TD Garden https://t.co/52NrqPdpGe

Here's what the former MVP told SiriusXM NBA's Justin Termine and Eddie A Johnson regarding this:

"I think he has become a distraction. And those young guys, he needs to be pumping up those young guys they've never been in a fight before.

"I mean, obviously you think about it, Klay and Steph have been in a fight, but the young guys, they are distracted because they are asking questions about Draymond doing podcasts. You know the crowd is cursing him out."

Barkley continued:

"Every time he gets that type of animosity on the road, yo man them other young guys, they are distracted by that, you know, it's a distraction. They have never been in a hostile environment.

"Dallas wasn't a hostile environment, Dallas got a great crowd, but they're not hostile. Boston, them people are hostile, so I think Draymond, he did a huge mistake throwing gasoline on the fire."

Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley, tells @TermineRadio & @Jumpshot8 that the young players on Golden State’s squad shouldn’t have to pay for Draymond’s actions. #NBAFinals https://t.co/k3WmCEU8Ac

Golden State Warriors veterans seem more affected by Boston Celtics' hostile environment

Charles Barkley believes the young players on the Golden State Warriors are distracted because of Draymond Green's antics.

However, inexperienced players such as Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole played their roles well on the road. Meanwhile, veteran stars Draymond and Klay Thompson seem to have struggled more.

Ryan Clark on Draymond’s Game 3 performance:

“It’s a problem when J. Cole has a better stat line than Draymond Green.”

💀💀💀 https://t.co/Nq4j5Z6zBn

Wiggins has been arguably the second-best player behind Steph Curry in the finals for the Golden State Warriors.

The former first overall pick has averaged 16.5 rebounds, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He has been excellent on both ends. Poole has done well in his limited role, averaging 12.5 points per game off the bench.

One time for @22wiggins 💥 https://t.co/FYq8OfOboM

Meanwhile, Draymond Green has recorded more fouls (18) than points (17) in the finals. He has averaged 4.3 points on 23.1% shooting from the field through four games. He was also benched for a lengthy stretch in the fourth quarter of Game 4.

The former DPOY has been a no-show on offense for the Golden State Warriors and has struggled defensively at times. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson hasn't been as consistent as he would've liked. He has averaged 17.3 points on only 35.8% shooting.

"I'll probably just YouTube Game 6 Klay" 😂

@KlayThompson on how he gets out of a shooting slump. https://t.co/UEpCIsg4ri

Green and Thompson need to execute their roles better and more efficiently to make an impact for the Golden State Warriors. Their inconsistency has put an extra load on Steph Curry's shoulders to lead the team out of trouble. This isn't ideal against a Celtics team that relies on depth.