Draymond Green gave Warriors fans something to talk about before the season even gets rolling, and it had nothing to do with the scoreboard.
Golden State opened preseason with a 104-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, but the bigger buzz came afterward when Green spoke to reporters. A clip from that interview sparked a wave of fan criticism over his conditioning, with plenty of people questioning whether the veteran forward showed up to training camp in the best possible shape.
The reactions online were blunt. Some fans took aim at the roughly $28 million Green is earning, while others mocked his build, including one comparison to a “dad bod” and another joke that he looked like Nikola Jokic.
“Dray unreal for coming into camp in that shape,” a fan commented.
“Paying a professional athlete 27 million when they have zero desire to stay in any type of shape is actually crazy,” another fan wrote.
“Flat out unacceptable to be in this kind of physical shape when u are a world-class athlete making 30M’s a year. There’s just too many ppl depending on your performance. Draymond is already up against it because u not the most talented; now age, u can’t afford to be on BS,” a third fan mentioned.
The scrutiny lands at an important moment for Green, who remains one of the key pieces on a Warriors team built around Stephen Curry. At 36, his defense, communication and playmaking are still central to what Golden State wants to do, even as the team looks to reshape some of his role.
Steve Kerr is already pushing Green to make changes on offense. With the Warriors needing more scoring, Green is expected to take more 3-pointers while giving Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg more of the playmaking load.
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It is a familiar kind of Warriors crossroads: protect the future while managing the present. With concerns already lingering around the health of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis, the urgency goes beyond one negotiation, even if Podziemski's situation may resolve soon. How Golden State handles that conversation will say plenty about where the front office thinks this team is headed. [Read more 🡒]