The 2020 NBA Finals begin Wednesday night and for the first time in six years, the Golden State Warriors won’t be taking part. Yet according to the New York Times‘ Marc Stein, Draymond Green doesn’t mind the break. For one thing, he’s been busy getting a jump on what appears to be a promising future as a broadcaster.
Green probably drew the most headlines for comments on TNT’s Inside the NBA regarding Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker that drew a $50,000 tampering fine. But as Stein points out in his latest NBA newsletter, the Warriors forward impressed with his analysis several times during his TNT playoffs stint.
Among Green’s standout moments were criticizing Joel Embiid settling for long-range shots and Nikola Jokic’s failure to rotate properly on defense.
Draymond picking apart Jokic's defense pic.twitter.com/Sncmb0Rfmq
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) September 4, 2020
Green told Stein that he tries to emulate CBS’ Tony Romo in his analysis, looking to educate the audience on what players see in various situations.
“The offense is lined up and the defense is lined up and he’s telling us exactly what the offense is about to do because of what he sees,” Green said. “Similar to Tony Romo, I want to give the world insight on what is actually going on out there on the court, as opposed to people thinking they know what’s going on.”
Considering Romo’s current TV salary, he’s surely the right guy for Green to follow. Although other analysts, such as ESPN’s Alex Rodriguez, have attempted to imitate Romo’s approach unsuccessfully.
Related: Marc Stein is leaving the NBA bubble, happy to go home but with plenty to miss
Green’s commentary has also included some media criticism. ESPN’s Malika Andrews and Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweeting that yelling could be heard in the Boston Celtics’ locker room following the team losing Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat.
Marcus Smart is screaming at someone in the Celtics locker room — or several people. The yelling continues as Smart exits the locker room, swearing.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 18, 2020
Smart wasn’t the only one yelling. There were definitely items thrown and a lot of yelling. #Celtics
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) September 18, 2020
Possible tension among Celtics players certainly made for an enticing story, but Green believed that sort of thing shouldn’t have been reported until players were asked about it and could comment. Furthermore, outbursts like that are more common among winning teams because those players care more about the bigger results, rather than individual statistics.
“Winning teams argue way more than losing teams.”@Money23Green reacts to reports of an outburst in the Celtics locker room after Game 2. pic.twitter.com/E4ICjcbaEM
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) September 19, 2020
However, Green might be particularly sensitive to the topic of locker room arguments, considering reports of confrontations with coach Steve Kerr and former teammate Kevin Durant.
According to Stein, we were originally supposed to see more from Green during TNT’s coverage of the Western Conference finals. But the birth of his third child necessitated a return home to California.
There’s plenty more worth reading in Stein’s piece, including Green’s feelings toward Charles Barkley, with whom he’s feuded in the past, Ernie Johnson’s high praise for the aspiring analyst, and Green’s social justice activism. But he also sees a return to championship contention for his Warriors team.
Click here to subscribe to Stein’s NYT newsletter, if you’re interested.
