Draymond Green is drawing heat from fans for how he looked after Sunday’s preseason loss. The Golden State Warriors fell 104-101 to the Los Angeles Clippers, but the score wasn’t what got people talking.
Fans Pile On Draymond Green’s Appearance
A clip of Green speaking with reporters after the game went viral. Many fans questioned whether he arrived at training camp in good shape, according to Nitish Singh of ClutchPoints.
Some of the reactions were harsh. Fans pointed to his salary of nearly $28 million and asked how he could report looking that way. Others called his build a “dad bod.” One joked he looked like Nikola Jokic.
“Dray unreal for coming into camp in that shape,” one fan wrote. Another posted, “Paying a professional athlete 27 million when they have zero desire to stay in any type of shape is actually crazy.”
A third fan wrote that it was “flat out unacceptable” for a world-class athlete making $30 million a year. “There’s too many ppl depending on your performance,” the fan said. Another said there’s “no playing your way into shape looking like that.”
One fan tied it to the offseason. “LeBron decided to not go to GS and Draymond stopped caring,” the fan wrote. The Warriors pursued LeBron James in free agency, but he chose the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Yeah, definitely feel it. Whether I like it or not, it’s going to happen. So I don’t wanna get off into it, whether I like it or dislike it. It is what it is.”
Why Green’s Role Matters to the Warriors
The criticism lands at a sensitive time. Green, 36, is a central piece of a Warriors team built around Stephen Curry. His defense, communication and playmaking still drive what Golden State does.
He also just started in the preseason opener alongside Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg and Al Horford. Green himself called the group’s size and basketball IQ a big plus.
Kerr Asks Green to Change His Game
Head coach Steve Kerr is already asking Green to adjust. The Warriors need more scoring, so Green is expected to shoot more threes. Podziemski and Lendeborg are expected to handle more of the playmaking.
Fans have had their say. Still, this was one preseason game, and Green played reduced minutes as the team eased its veterans in. His value has never come from how he looks in a postgame clip. It comes from his defense, his communication and his feel for the game.
Green helped the Warriors win four titles. He is only a year removed from a first-team All-Defensive season. Now he is learning a new role and a new system under Frank Vogel. Growing pains are expected this early. The real answer to the criticism comes once the games count.
NBA World Reacts to Warriors’ Draymond Green’s Viral Appearance