“When my OGs came to see me playing, I’m bouncing off the wall” - Draymond Green explains why he was disappointed with young Warriors star’s performances vs Knicks in Summer League
Draymond Green had to fight to become a key piece of the Golden State Warriors organization. After being selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft, Green had to earn his spot on the Warriors roster by taking part in the Summer League.
While many first-round picks had the "security" of making it straight to the main roster, Green had to impress to earn a spot for the regular season.
As such, it's no surprise that Green is passionate about keeping an eye on the developing young pieces of the Warriors roster. Heading into the Summer League, Golden State were expected to have one of the most impressive rosters in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, the team hasn't looked as strong as expected and Draymond Green was quick to point out that players such as second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga need to play better.
On a recent episode of "The Draymond Green Show," the Warriors veteran spoke about how he was always extra motivated when Warriors players or "OGs" came to watch his Summer League games. He feels Kuminga needs to adopt a similar mindset.
"I'm going to say this publicly, because I said it to his face, I thought Jonathan Kuminga was so so so bad in the game that I went to while they were playing the New York Knicks. I thought he was very bad, he didn't look engaged to me.
"The reason I was disappointed was because when my OGs came to see me playing somebody, I'm bouncing off the wall. You want to destroy whoever is in front of you because your OGs are sitting there and it just didn't feel like he had to pop like because if you got the pop there's no one in this Summer League that can touch you.
"sure enough he bounced back the next game and he shows that like yeah if I got the pop there's nobody in the Summer League that can guard me."
How did Golden State's Summer League team fare?
The Warriors had one of the most impressive rosters in terms of overall depth last season. But after numerous players left the team in free agency, it's clear that the Warriors are going to need some of their younger players to step up next season. This includes second-year wings Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, as well as James Wiseman.
Moses Moody going OFF in the first three quarters 👀
32 PTS
8/11 FG
3/5 3PT
(via @NBATV)
https://t.co/7a6sRM5mLz
Moody impressed in the Warriors' Las Vegas Summer League opener, showcasing his scoring ability.
But Kuminga, who is expected to be one of the top performers this Summer League, struggled with consistency.
Only time will tell if the young pieces will be ready to contribute at a high level next season, but one thing that is clear is that Draymond Green will be monitoring them closely.