"I imagine myself hitting Tyler Herro" - Udonis Haslem dishes Draymond Green fumbling leadership role on Warriors made him 'cringe'
Udonis Haslem has long had a reputation for being a no-nonsense player. As a player who transcended eras, Haslem was able to experience the hard-nosed style of play in the early 2000s as well as the modern NBA. Given that, throughout his career, he evolved from a starter into a locker room leader, Udonis Haslem didn't mince words when discussing Draymond Green.
Over the past year, Green has continued to find himself at the heart of drama. Things started heading into last season when Green punched teammate Jordan Poole at practice following a verbal exchange. During the season, he was then suspended for one game after reaching 16 technicals.
During the playoffs, he stomped on the chest of Domantas Sabonis, earning him another suspension. This season, he continued his recent trend, earning a suspension for choking Rudy Gobert and most recently for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
While speaking on an episode of The Big Podcast, Udonis Haslem spoke about Draymond Green's antics, drawing a comparison to Tyler Herro.
"I don't want to stand at the top and throw rocks. It just makes me cringe, because I can imagine myself the way he hit joy and pool, imagine myself hitting Tyler Herro like that. And I try to understand where he's coming from, and I can never do those things."
The big change Udonis Haslem has noticed in Draymond Green
While Draymond Green has long had a reputation for being a fierce competitor and outspoken leader, the frequency has seemed to increase. Rather than learning his lesson and taking a more cautious approach given the ramifications of his actions, Green has done the opposite.
Using the altercation with Rudy Gobert from earlier this season as an example, Green injected himself into the situation, escalating matters. Although he and coach Steve Kerr both stated that he was trying to de-escalate the situation, many believe he took it too far.
The way Udonis Haslem sees things, there's been an alarming trend in Green's career. While in years past he, much like Udonis Haslem, didn't shy away from finishing things and sticking up for teammates, now it appears as though he is the instigator.
"I think where Draymond's gotten to the point where he's the initiator, and I think that's not a good thing. When I saw the things that are happening, they kind of make me cringe because I put myself in that situation, because I'm an OG and I'm a leader. So when I look at Draymond, I try to put myself in his shoes."
Green, of course, is currently serving an indefinite suspension from the league stemming from his latest altercation. While there has been no definitive timeline given for his return, the expectation is that he will wind up missing a total of 3–4 weeks.