Getty Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after scoring a three-pointer against the Washington Wizards.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s studio host Bonta Hill responded to Draymond Green after the Golden State Warriors forward confronted him during an awkward postgame interview following the team’s 110-99 win over the New York Knicks on February 29.
“Bonta, I’m shocked you’re talking to me. The way you were talking about me when I got suspended, I am very shocked you’re talking to me,” Green said.
Hill was taken aback.
Draymond had some heat for Bonta 😳😳
On the March 1 episode of Hill’s Morning Roast radio show on 95.7 The Game with Joe Shasky, he addressed Green’s issue with him.
“Number one, it shouldn’t be a shock that I’m talking to Draymond Green,” Hill said. “[It] Shouldn’t be a shock. That’s my job. My job is to talk to you [fans], to talk about the team. My job here on the radio is to be a professional [to] talk, analyze the game, and that’s what I’ve been consistent with. From day one. I’ve been here 95.7 The Game for over seven years.”
Hill adamantly said he never took a personal shot at Green and was always objective in his criticisms.
“From what I can recall, I’ve never taken a personal shot at Draymond Green,” Hill said. “I’ve talked about him as he had been an outstanding member of the community. We’ve embraced him as a four-time champion, his walking into his place in the Hall of Fame. However, we’ve talked about his game on the court and things that have happened on the court. And I’ve been consistent with saying that in the most important season of his career, we were disappointed because of the suspensions.”
Hill believed the Warriors could have been in the top four of the Western Conference if Green was not suspended for 12 games.
Draymond Green’s Return Turns Warriors’ Season Around
Green produced seven points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in the Warriors’ victory in New York, their seventh consecutive road win and 10th overall in their last 12 games.
Since Green returned on January 15, the Warriors have a 13-6 record. He is averaging 8.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists since he rejoined the team.
Green has stabilized Golden State on both sides of the ball.
Their new starting five with Green as center, Stephen Curry and rookie Brandin Podziemski at the backcourt plus the pair of athletic wings Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins have the third-best net rating (plus-21.6) among the five-man lineups with more than 100 minutes playing together.
Brandin Podziemski Suffers Injury
Podziemski is listed out with right knee soreness against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. The rookie guard joins Wiggins (personal reasons) and Gui Santos (right knee inflammation) in the Warriors’ injury report.
Podziemski played 33 minutes against the Knicks but only had two points on 1 of 6 shooting with three rebounds, four assists and one steal.
The 21-year-old rookie out of Santa Clara is averaging 9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists while leading the league in charges drawn.
With Podziemski out, Klay Thompson will return to the starting lineup while Gary Payton II and Lester Quiñones will see increased playing time off the bench.