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Draymond Green struggled in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. TV personality Stephen A. Smith is not worried and believes Green will step up.
The forward was not as impactful as fans have grown accustomed to, resulting in a 120-108 loss against the Celtics. Coming into the finals, the Warriors were the favorites but were stunned in front of their home fans.
With that loss, the Warriors posted their first home defeat in the 2022 postseason. Credit to the Celtics for putting together a stunning performance and winning the game despite being down by 14 at one point.
Fans have been playing the blame game since the final buzzer, and some of it has been directed towards Green. However, Stephen A. is confident in the forward's ability to turn things around.
On ESPN's "First Take," he said:
"We got to bring this up about Draymond Green. All-world defensive player, orchestrator, your point forward, distributor of the basketball, basketball savant.
"Could you imagine how lethal the Golden State Warriors would be if Draymond Green was a reliable perimeter shooter? Think about that because you couldn't leave him open, and then that would open the floodgates.
"Well, years ago he would have been the MVP of the finals that they lost to Cleveland, the way he played in that Game 7, remember that? He got suspended for Game 5, came back in Game 6 they lost the Cleveland, Game 7 he played lights out, was absolutely spectacular.
"And I believe in Dray, that when you put the pressure on him and you point to him, and you say 'it's you, if you don't do this they gonna lose.' I think that he'll make sure he does his job, but he has to because Boston is daring him to do so."
Green went 2-of-12 from the field, failing to convert on four open shots from beyond the arc. While he is not expected to have huge scoring nights, double-figure scoring will help put the team in a position to win.
Draymond Green says he failed Steph Curry
Steph Curry had an incredible first quarter on Thursday night. He scored 21 points in the quarter, causing Shannon Sharpe to think he would hit the 50-point mark.
Unfortunately, Steph cooled off, scoring only 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting in the remaining three quarters. On "The Draymond Green Show," Green said he failed Curry for not playing well, and also analyzed their defensive struggles. Green said:
"When I look back at the game, I failed him because I didn't play well. And when he comes out guns blazing like that, playing the way he's playing, I have to make sure that I do my part to make sure that ends in a win."
Identifying the problem is always the first step in creating solutions. Come Sunday, we will see if the Warriors have devised a means to make things difficult for the Celtics.
Winning Game 2 is crucial for the Warriors. Overturning a 2-0 deficit would be an arduous task, especially against this dogged Boston team.
