ESPN pundit Jay Williams attributes Draymond Green’s most recent dismissal in part to Warriors captain Steph Curry. Green was benched four minutes into Golden State’s Tuesday night game against the Orlando Magic, and Williams believes that Curry’s lack of initiative is to blame, according to First Take.
Williams remarked, “It feels like he can’t make reads on himself internally.” “Draymond Green is undermining the overall impression that people have of Stephen Curry’s leadership.”
This raises the question of how Curry can possibly be held accountable for Green’s actions.
The situation behind Draymond Green’s dismissal
After disagreeing with referees and collecting a double-technical, Green was ejected for the fourth time this season. After the incident, Curry appeared to be on the edge of tears and was obviously disturbed up. He is aware of Green’s significance to Golden State’s accomplishments, according to USA Today’s Cydney Henderson.
I’ll just state that we require him. He is aware of that. We’re all aware of that, added Curry. “Especially at this time of year, whatever it takes to keep him on the floor and available has to happen.”
It’s understandable that Curry was so frustrated, as the Warriors are fighting for survival in a competitive Western Conference. Golden State currently sits in 10th place, one game ahead of the Houston Rockets. If the Dubs get leap-frogged by Houston, they won’t qualify for the Play-In Tournament. The team simply can’t afford to be without its core players as the stretch run continues.
Williams asserts that despite Curry leading the club, “high-level” NBA figures are criticizing him for his inability to “control” Green. Williams might just be repeating what he has heard, to be fair. On the other hand, it is unjust to the serial shooter in many ways to present it in this manner on national television.
Does Steph Curry really deserve this?
To begin with, Green has a lengthy record of getting dismissed and suspended. According to ESPN, he has now been tossed out 19 times in his career, which is the second-most of any player during the previous 25 years. The four-time winner has a reputation for being easily agitated. Green must eventually make the decision to alter his behavior, no matter how much Curry tries to soothe him.
Williams said on the First Take segment that he understood. But it’s a bold move to make headlines—that he even bothered to bring up these “texts.” In the age of media, engagement reigns supreme. Since Curry is one of the league’s faces, negativity sells. Rather than just saying that Green needs to behave better, it makes more news to find a means to attack Curry as well.
Williams has a history of dubious takes as well. He recently said, “Let everybody get in,” suggesting that there should be 112 teams in the NCAA Tournament. As a result, many high-major clubs wouldn’t have to work very hard to qualify for March Madness, effectively making the regular season meaningless.
In addition, the former Chicago Bull claimed that Caitlin Clark of Iowa, who broke the NCAA scoring record this season, is not quite “great” yet and that she must first win a title. Williams needs to understand that basketball is a team sport and that there are a lot of other reasons besides Clark’s actions that have prevented her from taking down the nets.
To put it briefly, even if Williams may have a solid basketball background, it’s vital to treat these kinds of claims with caution. Frequently, it’s more captivating and dramatic to abruptly express a deliberately dubious viewpoint than it is to continuously offer perfectly reasonable assertions.
