Draymond Green has addressed the elephant in the room after his former teammate Klay Thompson signed with the Heat, and some fans may not like what he has to say.
Thompson has been lauded as the man to solve Miami’s shooting problems, but Green is trying to bring everyone back down to earth.
“I don’t like how everybody is trying to act like ‘It’s Klay Thompson,” Green said on his podcast The Draymond Green Show. “… The reason I don’t like it is because I feel like everybody is trying to set Klay up for failure.”
He added, “I’m going to say it here right now. Let’s stop acting like it’s 2017 Klay going to Miami.”
“That’s the role I’d expect of Klay,” Green said. “Don’t try to set my brother up. Like you’re about to get the 2017 Klay, so the moment you don’t, y’all can bash him.”
Green isn’t wrong. Thompson is a far cry from his prime.
He played in 69 games for the Mavericks last season, but only started in eight of those.
He also shot a career low of 38.3 percent from the three-point line and shot 39.3 percent from the field.
“He’s going into year 16 of his career; we obviously know the injuries he’s faced,” Green said. “Yes he is going to provide shooting, because he shoots the lights out of the ball, and when he’s 60, he’ll be able to shoot the lights out of the ball.”
Out of context, Green’s comments may seem harsh, but the four-time NBA champ seemingly just wants to ensure realistic expectations are being set for one of the greatest shooters of all time.
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