Former NBA champion defends Draymond Green's antics

The Golden State Warriors need their best players on the court to get out of this slump. Draymond Green cannot keep getting himself ejected or benched because of his temper; he’s just too valuable to his team, and it shows even more when he’s not out there.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that he’s the only one responsible for the Dubs’ recent debacle. There’s an ongoing narrative stating that Green has already ruined two Warriors’ seasons: First in 2016 by being suspended in the NBA Finals, and then last season because of his fight with Jordan Poole.

One could make a case for that being somewhat valid. Nonetheless, the Warriors would’ve never even been in a position to win if it wasn’t for Green as well, which is why they’ve always been OK with living and dying by his temper.

That’s why former NBA champion John Salley thinks it’s time people stop criticizing him for being who he is, adding that he’s their source of energy and their leader.

Draymond Green

John Salley Stands By Draymond Green

“I would take him every day and twice on Sunday. Let me tell you, when you have Draymond, Draymond, Draymond, you got energy,” Salley said on Undisputed. “Now, people may sit there and say, well, he caused them a problem. He didn’t cause them a problem. He is the energy, and when you got that kind of energy, you win all the time.”

Salley compared Green to Bill Laimbeer, one of the biggest troublemakers in league history, in the sense that he won’t hesitate to make himself the scapegoat so the rest of the team can take pressure off their shoulders.

“I played with Bill Laimbeer, and he would yell at the refs and point to the refs, and everyone called him a crybaby,” Salley added. “But Bill would say, you know what? I’m going to take all the bullets. You guys give me all the bullets. I’ll take all that pressure. And all that energy from the referees are now on alert.”

Rachel Nichols Agrees With Salley

Notably, NBA insider Rachel Nichols echoed a similar sentiment. She believes that every single player on the Warriors roster would go to war for Green, so there’s no place for that narrative of him ruining their seasons:

Draymond Green

“He did not ruin the other Golden State Warriors’ seasons. So, I totally agree with John Salley here; I am 100% in his camp,” Nichols said on Undisputed. “Every single guy in that Warriors roster wants Draymond Green on the roster. Every other player around the league, if they’re honest with them, and they’re GM came and said, ‘Hey, we just traded for Draymond.’ They’d be like, ‘Yes!'”

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Even so, Green does need to know better. He’s a well-seasoned veteran who knows he’s always going to be made an example of, and the Warriors need him to stay out of trouble. His defense, playmaking, and leadership are too crucial to this team, and they cannot afford to have him missing games over avoidable incidents.