NBA champion and current TNT analyst Kenny Smith is a big fan of Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green.
While Smith's TNT partner, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, has taken plenty of shots at Green in the past, Smith believes the Warriors' do-it-all big man is a player who nightly contributes to winning.
“There are certain guys you could throw in a pickup game, and they're gonna look great. And there are certain guys — when they're added to that pickup game — those guys win. Draymond is that guy,” Kenny Smith explained, via Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“He might not look good in a pickup game, but you throw him on a team that's almost winning — they win. He's that ingredient. I love Draymond Green.”
Green has won three championships with the Warriors and played in five NBA Finals. Although the Dubs had the worst record in the NBA in 2019-20, the franchise is expected to be playoff contenders again in 2020-21 since Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Green will be taking the floor together for the first time as a foursome.
Since getting drafted by the Warriors in 2012, Green has averaged 9.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 576 regular-season games. The former Michigan State Spartan has made three All-Star teams and was the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year.
Fans across the NBA don't like Green. However, he's beloved in Golden State by the Dubs faithful, his teammates and head coach Steve Kerr. He may not ever put up superstar numbers like Curry and Thompson, but Green is certainly an important cog for the Warriors moving forward, especially since two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant and veteran swingman Andre Iguodala are no longer on the team.
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