Stephen Curry warns Draymond Green not to get distracted from playing basketball: “Be fiery and competitive”
After a tough 124-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings, Stephen Curry talked about Green's return and offered some advice amid all the outside noise, as per The Athletic's Anthony Slater. Green received a five-game suspension for chokeholding Rudy Gobert during a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"For him, be fiery. Be competitive," Curry said. "Be who you are. But we all have to be mindful of not getting distracted and just try to play basketball."
Curry wants Draymond Green to remain focused and committed to the team's ultimate goal and not pay too much attention to his altercation with Gobert. The Warriors star advised his teammate to remain the way he has always been.
Throughout his 12 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Green has established himself as the "leader" of the team and will defend his teammates no matter what.
Green's chokehold incident over Rudy Gobert has been met with much criticism, especially considering the Warriors forward's long history of on-court altercations and scuffles with other NBA players.
Regardless, Stephen Curry does not want Green to get distracted by what the media is saying or implying and to remain devoted to playing basketball for the team.
In his return against the Kings, Draymond Green dropped 8 points (3-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range), 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Stephen Curry talks about the importance of having Draymond Green back on the team
In an article written by Joey Linn from Fan Nation's "Inside the Warriors," two-time MVP Stephen Curry, talked about the value that Draymond Green brings to the team and the importance of him being back.
"Yeah. We're 8-9," Curry said. "That nine-game stretch we're in right now has not been great. I know Draymond is excited to be back, we're excited to have him, we need him. Overall, how we talked about that last couple practice sessions we had a week ago to kinda focus on the areas of improvement. ... Draymond being back helps a lot."
"Not just because of what he does defensively," Curry added, "but because of the way he communicates. But it won't solve everything. So we have to address those, especially going into [Sacramento], because we know how their offense is."
Not only is Green the defensive ace of the Golden State Warriors, but he is also one of the main playmakers on the team at the offensive end. His playmaking and on-court vision are still among the best in the game, and he can run the offense.
As of now, the Warriors are 10th (8-10) in the Western Conference standings and could use a big stretch to get them back in the win column.
Moreover, Green is averaging 8.7 points (46.9% shooting, including 45.8% from 3-point range), 5.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game in one of his most efficient seasons shooting-wise.