Stephen A. Smith didn’t waste any time taking a shot at Draymond Green after the Golden State Warriors’ recent loss to the Denver Nuggets.
After adding Jimmy Butler to their roster, the Warriors seemed to have gained some momentum and entered the matchup as one of the hottest teams in the league.
Although several Nuggets stars, like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, didn’t play, Denver defeated the Warriors with its own supporting squad. After the game, Smith went on air to make sure fans remembered his thoughts about Green.
Stephen A. Smith Believes Draymond Green Controls the Golden State Warriors’ Success
While Stephen Curry may be the face of the Warriors, and Butler could be considered the spark that got the team rolling, Smith thinks the team’s success depends on Green’s shooting. Opponents often leave him open because Curry is usually on the court.
Smith pointed out an improvement in Green’s 3-point shooting, which led him to believe Green is key to the Warriors’ success.
“Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry, I get that. My eyes are on Draymond Green. Who is the person who went on national television during All-Star Weekend and guaranteed a championship? Who’s that? That wasn’t Steph. That wasn’t Jimmy. That’s Draymond, you know what I’m saying. And I’ve been on record because they leave him open, and remember for years his 3-point shot had dissipated dramatically.”
“Who’s the person who went on national television during All-Star Weekend and guaranteed a championship?” 😳 @stephenasmith CALLS OUT Draymond Green after the Warriors’ loss to the Nuggets 👀 pic.twitter.com/BqQftlufDV
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 18, 2025
Smith continued, “It was like, damn, what’s going on? You gotta hit something. That brother has been hitting some 3s now. Let me tell you something. The other night he had four.
“So, I’m looking at him and saying, wait a minute…If this brother is going to…Because we know what a point forward he is…We know how great he is in setting Steph Curry up…We know how valuable Dray is on that level.”
Smith concluded, “But if this brother hits his 3s when he’s open, that changes the dynamic for the Golden State Warriors. When he’s making shots, that has a profound positive impact for the Warriors.”
While fans may understand Smith’s reasoning, the reality is a bit more complicated. Green isn’t known for his scoring, and opponents will likely continue to let him shoot from long range.
“We are going to win the championship. It’s going to happen… I’m going to follow Jimmy Butler. I’m going to follow Steph Curry. And we’re going to follow those two guys right to a championship.” – Draymond Green on the Warriors 🏀🎙️ #NBA pic.twitter.com/ouF4sJhWbJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 17, 2025
Smith may already have a problem with Green. The Warriors’ star has crowned himself part of the “new media” after starting a podcast, and this seems to have put him at odds with traditional media figures. Additionally, Green’s confident guarantee of a Warriors championship might have rubbed Smith the wrong way.
Although Smith may have felt the need to attack Green, he also ended up paying him a backhanded compliment by implying that he is invaluable to the Warriors and the biggest factor in their success. This contradicting behavior from Smith has ended up confusing fans on his true thoughts about Green.