Charles Barkley Reveals Real Reason Warriors Suspended Draymond Green
The ongoing saga involving Draymond Green, Kevin Durant and the rest of the Golden State Warriors’ suddenly horribly dysfunctional locker room continues to simmer, as tensions run especially high between Green and coach Steve Kerr — keep this in mind, we’ll get to it a bit later here.
Anyway, the Warriors appear to have a chemistry problem on their hands, and Charles Barkley of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” went on “The Dan Patrick Show” to offer his opinion on the matter.
Barkley, in the clearest of terms, let the world know that, one, letting journalists write narratives only shows that journalists have never played NBA basketball, and two, when one guy is averaging seven points a game, no matter how good he is on defense, he does not get the benefit of the doubt over a guy who’s a two-time NBA Finals MVP and six-time First-Team All-NBA.
Barkley started by pointing out what nonsense it is to think that anyone was thinking about free agency when a basketball game on national television was about to go to overtime.
“You hear all these guys who be making up these stories,” Barkley said as Patrick laughed in agreement. “They want us to believe that going into overtime that Draymond says, ‘You need to make up your mind on free agency.’ I don’t believe that at all.”
Barkley also devoted a fair bit of the interview to dispelling the idea that Golden State would have been the dynasty they’ve become had Durant not joined the team as a free agent in the summer of 2016.
Which, maybe Barkley has a point — the Rockets almost assuredly would have beaten the Warriors in the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
Likewise, it’s not implausible to consider that had Zaza Pachulia not been in position to take Kawhi Leonard’s legs out from under him in the 2017 West finals, San Antonio might have had a chance in that series.
And beyond that, the Oklahoma City Thunder won 47 games with Russell Westbrook and a bunch of scrubs he found at the YMCA. We’re supposed to believe that Westbrook, Durant and Steven Adams couldn’t have given the Warriors a series a year after they nearly knocked off that Dubs squad that went 73-9 in the regular season?
For Green to say that the Warriors “won without you” is, by dint of the 2015 title, a simple fact.
For him to say they don’t need Durant is utter hogwash, and Barkley called Green out on it.
And as for Green’s suspension, Barkley’s words were very clear.
“They know that they’ve got to appease Kevin Durant. That’s what makes sense. Dan, nobody gets suspended when teammates get to fighting, because that happens at least once a week. Where teammates get into (a fight), or somebody yells at a coach and you say things you regret.
“The reason they suspended Draymond is because they know that dynasty, if Kevin Durant leaves, is gonna come to an end. And people got to realize — they’re going to that brand new, big old building next year. They’re charging $20,000 a seat on the front row. … People want to see a team that’s a juggernaut, they don’t want to see a team that’s pretty good. That’s why they suspended Draymond.”
And the fun’s not over.
Green is out with a “toe sprain” for the Warriors’ next couple of games.
Steve Kerr on Draymond Green: “We decided to give him some time off. Don’t know how long it’ll be. The toe (sprain) is lingering.” Out tonight vs Mavs, likely tomorrow vs Spurs, too. Alfonzo McKinnie also out.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 17, 2018
Yeah, sure, a “toe sprain.” Someone tell Carmelo Anthony and Jimmy Butler to make room in the ER at the hospital.
We may very well have seen Draymond Green play his last game in Oakland, and Charles Barkley gave us a steaming hot bowl of obvious soup as to why.
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