Even Draymond Green's mother doesn't understand his NBA Finals struggles
Draymond Green picked a regrettable time to play some of the worst basketball of his NBA career.
Playing to avoid a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors star turned in yet another rough performance, scoring only two points on 1-of-7 shooting, to the delight of the Boston Celtics crowd. He also chipped in nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals against two turnovers, but no one watching him thought he was a plus for the team.
Things got bad enough in the fourth quarter that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pulled Green midway through the fourth quarter and only used him as the defensive side of an offense-defense sub rotation with Jordan Poole. The gambit at least worked out, with the Warriors winning 107-97 to even the series 2-2, but that was more thanks to a masterpiece performance from Stephen Curry.
As that all played out, even Green's mother, Mary Babers, couldn't explain what had happened to a player who has been a focal point of the Warriors' offense since their first championship under Kerr. She is not ruling out her son being replaced with a clone.
Please ppl stop asking me what’s wrong with Dray… I DONT KNOW! Maybe this is a CLONE! Lmbo WHERE IS THE Draymond that helped get us here!! Hmmmm I have never seen this either!
— Mary B (@BabersGreen) June 11, 2022
After the game, Green didn't hide his displeasure getting pulled down the stretch, but said he respected Kerr's decision.
From NBC Sports Bay Area:
"Definitely never thrilled coming out of the game with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter in a must-win game. I'm not going to sit here and act like I was thrilled. I'm a competitor. But at the end of the day, if that's what Coach decides, then you roll with it.
"I had to keep my head in the game and, whenever I went back in, try to make some plays. That was just my mindset, don't make too much of it. If you've got something in this role, you stick with it. It is what it is."
Four games into the 2022 NBA Finals, Green has yet to score in double digits, is shooting 6-of-26 and has recorded more personal fouls (18) than points (17). His usage has become a major storyline in the Finals, and figures to loom large in Game 5 when the Warriors try to take their first lead of the series.
