The current style of play in the NBA has received criticism from fans and former players consistently over the past few years. Golden State Warriors forward and four-time NBA champion Draymond Green has been one of the loudest voices criticizing today’s product.
Green will compete in the NBA Skills Challenge during All-Star weekend but was candid during his media session when asked if he thought the NBA game was boring.
“Absolutely,” Green said.
Why Does Draymond Green Think the Current NBA Game Is Boring?
When the Warriors won the title in 2015, Green’s first, NBA teams averaged just 22 3-point shot attempts per game. Entering the All-Star break this season, the league is averaging 37 3-pointers, leading to Green’s belief the league has become somewhat predictable.
Green cited an interview by late Hall of Fame legend Kobe Bryant who called the game “accidental basketball.”
“It’s all penetrate and pitch,” Bryant said in the interview before his death. “You may make the shot, you may not.”
“He couldn’t have been more right,” Green said.
The Warriors recently played the Los Angeles Lakers, and Green mentioned that it was “refreshing” to compete against a high-IQ basketball mind in future Hall of Famer LeBron James.
“Every possession is some type of chess move,” Green said. “You don’t get that today in the NBA, often. … You don’t just get that on a regular basis. It’s just who can run faster, who can hit more 3s. It’s no substance. I think it’s very boring.”
The NBA has clearly embraced higher-scoring and faster-paced games. The strategy has worked when it comes to revenue generation, with the league set to enter a new round of streaming and television deals worth close to $80 billion.
“You want to be one of the teams that aren’t playing an accidental game,” Green said. “That’s the challenge.”
The irony of this situation is the Warriors are often credited with leading to the explosion of 3-point shots, driven by Green’s teammate All-Star guard Stephen Curry. However, this year’s Golden State squad is only 28-27 and currently 10th in the Western Conference — barely clinging to the last play-in spot.