“We got to stop this nonsense… Steph Curry needs you” - Stephen A. Smith says Draymond Green is on the verge of costing the Warriors two titles, says he doesn’t have a problem with his podcasting
Draymond Green was effectively a no-show for the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. And his performances in the series have drawn harsh criticism from sports analyst Stephen A. Smith.
Draymond Green went OFF in Game 3🔥
2 PTS🔥
3 AST🔥
4 REB🔥
Fouls out🔥 https://t.co/8OYMPqyaeV
Smith has had the Warriors as his pick to win the championship since the start of the season. He was excited about Klay Thompson's return and was certain the sharpshooter would help in their quest for another championship.
However, Smith is unhappy with Green's performances. He defended Green after Game 1, saying the big man steps up when there is pressure.
Following Wednesday night's 116-100 loss in Boston, Smith had some words for Green. He made sure to point out that his comments are only meant to motivate the Warriors forward.
"What the hell was that, Draymond? We got to stop this nonsense right now. This is a motivational speech. This is not criticizing Draymond Green. This is motivation, my brother. Two points? Two damn points? All of that talking, two points!
"I got no problems with your podcast, my brother, I support it. I love listening to you. I hope you keep doing it. But guess what? That ain't the priority right now.
"Are you ready for somebody to look at you and say to you, Draymond Green, you are on the verge of costing the Golden State Warriors two titles? When you lost in 2016, y'all win that series in five if you don't get suspended for the game because you accumulated too many technical fouls. That's one title.
"Now, if you lose to Boston, because Game 1 you didn't show up, Game 3 you didn't show up, that we can't rely on you to show up for more than one game at a time. That's going to be a problem. Steph Curry needs you, bro. Klay Thompson needs you, bro. Jordan Poole needs you, bro. It's time, period. You got to show up."
Green finished with two points, four rebounds and three assists. He also fouled out for the second time in the series.
NBA legend Isiah Thomas also called out Green, saying he has lost focus in the series. He advised Green to spend less time talking back at fans and making podcasts.
"Where you play 34 minutes, you have 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 points. Draymond Green does that in a grade school game, not in the NBA Finals... He has lost focus in terms of concentrating on beating the opponent"
— Isiah Thomas on Draymond Green's performance in Game 3 https://t.co/tf8EdEZnCu
Draymond Green acknowledges that he played terrible in Game 3
After the Game 3 loss, Green said he played terribly. He pointed out that the Warriors did a poor job in slowing down Jayson Tatum, who finished with 26 points and nine assists.
Jayson Tatum is in scoring bag 👀
Game 3 Live Now on ABC 🏀 https://t.co/UESN2AD6K7
Even as it was a collective effort needed to slow down Tatum, Green took responsibility. He acknowledged that he was not impactful on both ends of the court.
"Tonight may have been one of the worst games of my career," Green said. "Where I felt that I played terrible was my overall impact on the game. I didn't have the type of force that I need to have in order for us to win at this level."
Kendrick Perkins was also furious with Green's performance. He shaded the former Defensive Player of the Year, saying he was more prepped for his podcast than he was for the game.
Green's importance to the Warriors cannot be overstated. For them to have any chance at winning this series, he will need to play better.