Draymond Green Gets Blunt on Steve Kerr Doubters Ahead of Warriors’ Do-or-Die Game

Draymond Green and Steve Kerr have been together through different ups and downs over the past decade with the Golden State Warriors. 

Now, the two face another do-or-die situation in the play-in tournament as the Warriors take on the Phoenix Suns with the right to be No. 8 in the playoffs on the line. 

Ahead of the game, Green went off on Kerr’s doubters, saying that Kerr has been a victim of unfair criticism, one that even the greatest coaches of all time have not endured. 

“I know all of you have your complaints about Steve Kerr, have your complaints about his rotations, his philosophies, and all of these things,” Green said in The Draymond Green Show before their play-in game against the Suns on Friday. 

“But I never see anyone really question Jeff Bezos like that, I never see anyone question Gregg Popovich like that, I never see anyone question Phil Jackson like that. But for some reason, I guess it’s because of the day and age that we’re in, there are always people questioning Steve Kerr,” he added. 

Green added that Kerr, who has coached the Warriors to four NBA championships, is the perfect coach for a team facing elimination. 

“I’m here to tell you again you’re back against the wall, you don’t want another coach, he always knows the right thing to do, he always knows the right thing to say, he always knows the right things to do and the right adjustments to make,” Green said. 

Kerr has long been seen as the one who unlocked Green’s true potential by trusting him as an offensive connector while also being a defensive anchor during the Warriors’ breakthrough in 2015.

They went on to play in six NBA Finals together alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, winning four championships. 

Earlier this season, Kerr has been the subject of criticism for his rotations and a perceived lack of adjustments that caused numerous regular-season losses for the Warriors. 

With a win against the Suns, Kerr and the Warriors could redeem themselves from a lackluster regular season en route to the playoffs. 

Draymond Green Cites Steve Kerr as Source of Confidence

GettyDraymond Green says Steve Kerr brings a sense of confidence to the Golden State Warriors.

Draymond Green continued to give Steve Kerr his flowers, pointing out that he has been a source of confidence for the team, and especially Steph Curry. 

“When you talk about the confidence and the chemistry that Steph Curry and I have in these situations. A large piece of that is we know the guy over there is going to make all the right calls,” Green said, referring to Kerr. 

“So, we go into this situation knowing that we’re going to have a better game plan than the opposing team. How we execute is up to us,” he added. 

During their first play-in game against the LA Clippers, Curry hit the game-winning triple off a pass from Green. The shot was reminiscent of many other plays they shared over the past years under Kerr. 

While Curry controlled the offensive tempo, Green handled the defensive side of the game and is expected to do so again against the Suns for the final playoff ticket. 

Warriors-Suns Tip Off

GettyThe Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns clash to determine the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs.

The Warriors-Suns play-in game will tip off at 10:00 P.M. Eastern time inside the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 

The game will start right after the Eastern Conference play-in clash between the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets.  

The Suns are coming off a loss in their arena against the Portland Trail Blazers, which went on to occupy the seventh seed and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. 

The winner between the Warriors and the Suns will face the top-seeded OKC Thunder in the first round. 

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