Two things can be true at the same time. Draymond Green can be great. Draymond Green can be one of the greatest defenders of all time. He can also know a tremendous amount about the game, in certain interviews offering exceptional insight into his own thought process and how he pilots the Golden State defense. He’s a former Defensive Player of the Year and an eight-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Teams.
He can also be dirty, loud, and the bad kind of boisterous. The “I’m extremely in my own head at all times and am very, very certain of my own perspective” way. The way that lets you act hypocritically and with active self-aggrandization at many and various opportunities. He punched his teammate. He choked Rudy Gobert in hopes of strangling a few of Rudy’s own DPOY awards out of him.
It didn’t work. I think he went to therapy instead.
All this to say: if there was going to be a lightning rod for trash talk on the Golden State Warriors Roster, it was going to be Draymond.
And wouldn’t you know it? Jalen Green wanted to trash talk Draymond Green
If you don’t want to go to watch the video, I’ll transcribe the words here. Jalen Green said, in reference to Draymond Green chirping, “It’s just … just talking. He can't really do much of anything else, so talking is his only way.”
I could see some physical play from Steven Adams, I could see Dillon Brooks doing a stupid Dillon Brooks thing to anyone on the Warriors, I could see Amen Thompson getting so deep into an offensive player’s space that he just accidentally puts the ball-handler in a figure four. There were some people from which I expected evidence of bitterness or hate.
Didn’t really expect it from Jalen Green. He’s absolutely free to say whatever the hell he wants, but despite what some “freedom of speech advocates” want, freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences. Draymond is absolutely going to hear this.
At the moment, Jalen Green is averaging less than 13 points per game in the series, and he only scored 10 or more points in one of three games. He went off in Game 2, and he is a streaky player, so maybe he bounces back next game. But he only got up 11 shots in 39 minutes. Six fewer shots in six more minutes compared to his season averages. This was against a Golden State defense without Jimmy Butler. Draymond is the one putting the pieces in place to stop Jalen Green. He pretty much got stopped.
If it comes down to a battle of who blinks first between Draymond and Jalen, it’s probably Draymond in 5. I’m only giving Jalen one game because they’re the higher seed.
Draymond could also punch him in the face.