The Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green-led defense had no answer for the Boston Celtics’ clutch shooting and poise in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Boston smacked the Warriors’ defense, putting up 40 points in 12 minutes to embarrass the favorites in front of their home crowd.
In a postgame interview, Green almost nonchalantly dismissed the Celtics’ win as nothing more than luck. He summarized the supposedly unsustainable 3-point shooting of Derrick White, Marcus Smart and Al Horford as the reason for the loss.
Rob Parker of "The Odd Couple" podcast mocked and then ripped the Warriors' defensive lynchpin for his excuses, stating:

“You guys can sit here all night and talk about, ‘Well, the Celtics will never shoot like that again, everything went in. [whining]’ That’s Draymond Green, who’s a better podcaster than he is a ballplayer, 2-12, alright?"
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Parker wouldn't let up, stating:
"Draymond, I’m glad you’re a part of the new media, 'cause you ain’t a part of a championship team right now! I’ll give you that. You better stick with podcasting! My god, what was that?”
Draymond Green is the unquestioned vocal leader of the Golden State Warriors. He’s also used that personality and brilliant basketball mind to be one of the most engaging podcasters around. Unfortunately for him, his performance in Game 1 was nowhere near what he has been doing as a podcaster.
For practically the entire fourth quarter, Golden State’s defense had no idea how to stop Jaylen Brown and contain Boston’s poise and impeccable shooting. On the flip side, the Warriors’ offense couldn’t do anything with the Celtics’ unforgiving defense.
The Boston Celtics’ switch-heavy defense maximized its impact by daring Draymond Green to shoot while the rest of the Warriors on the floor were covered. Golden State’s former Defensive Player of the Year took 12 shots, hitting only two of them. He missed all four of his 3-point attempts.
Rob Parker’s criticism may have been a little below the belt, but his point was also very clear. Only Green’s performance moving forward can change the narrative of what was expressed by the veteran sports analyst.
Draymond Green needs help on defense
![Draymond Green did his part on defense but will need the Warriors to go with him. [Photo: MassLive.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/ac5bf-16543600836913-1920.jpg 1920w)
When he’s not hitting shots, Jordan Poole is almost unplayable against the predatory strategy of the Boston Celtics. JP looked overwhelmed and his struggles on offense affected his defense. Boston kept attacking him.
Ditto for Klay Thompson, who shot six of 14 from the field for 15 points. The Celtics outscored the Warriors by 27 points when “Captain Klay” was on the floor in the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown got hot, which started Boston’s stirring comeback, largely due to Thompson’s terrible defensive performance.
If both Thompson and Poole are inefficient on offense and struggle on defense, Steve Kerr may be forced to play Gary Payton II. GP has just returned from a fractured elbow in his shooting arm.
Having him in the same lineup alongside Draymond Green, who’s also a non-shooter, is almost a death sentence against Boston’s opportunistic defense.
The Game 1 box score looked like a blowout, but fans knew it was a game they were all hoping to see. Game 2 should be more of the same with added twists and adjustments. The basketball world can’t wait for the next game to start.
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