The Golden State Warriors are all for taking their chance at making the playoffs. They have to go through the trials and tribulations of the Play-In Tournament. With Stephen Curry back, hope is rejuvenated. However, Draymond Green isn’t waking up excited to be part of the extended bracket. The veteran forward sees some glaring flaws in the concept introduced a few seasons ago.
“We could have lost our last 15 games and been stuck in 10th, it ain’t working. You know, but it works for a little bit. But, you know, if you could lose all the last 15 games of your season when you could be stuck in 10th, it ain’t working,” Green said about the Play-In Tournament.
Rather than discourage tanking, the four-time NBA champion believes it’s made it convenient. Teams that want to be bad aren’t scared of finishing in the top 10. Tonight, Draymond Green saw what he believed was a blatant example of the Sacramento Kings trying to tank.
“I saw a team tonight foul Seth Curry with 3 minutes to go in the game for no reason in the penalty. It ain’t working. You know, we want to make playoffs, so it works, I guess,” Green added.
The foul in question occurred off the ball just when the Kings took a one-point lead in the fourth quarter. Momentum kept shifting. The contest featured 18 lead changes, with the Kings having several opportunities to upset the Warriors. But plays like them fouling Curry rather than trying to get a stop just disregard the integrity of the game.
Teams that are serious about competing will still enjoy the Play-In tournament. But the issue is the lack of progress outside of them. The Miami Heat just made their fourth consecutive Play-In appearance. Even when the Warriors struggled without Stephen Curry this season, they always knew the Play-In spot would be open.
That’s the point of contention. The expanded format hasn’t helped solve the tanking issue in the NBA.
Draymond Green is still going to get up for the Play-In
Green disapproves of the existence of the Play-In tournament. The mechanism hasn’t led to an increased competitive landscape. Sure, there are a few examples, such as the Miami Heat going all the way to the Finals in 2023. However, it’s mostly a protection blanket for competitive teams that can’t quite match up against the elite sides.
The Warriors battled through injury troubles to get to this point. Draymond Green doesn’t celebrate playing the Play-In as he would the playoffs. However, the competitor within him wouldn’t allow him to take these games easily. At the end of the day, they will determine whether the Bay survives until the postseason.
“Well, listen, you go on the road in a game that you need to win. I think you know, as a competitor, you’re going to rise to the challenge, you know, but I’m not going to sleep tomorrow night like, man, we got this Play-In next week. Got to get my rest. No, it ain’t that exciting,” said Draymond Green.
It’s the path the Warriors are forced to go through to make things exciting. Normally, Green may be on board to abolish the Play-In. But this year, it’s the reason the Warriors could wait for Stephen Curry’s return with hopes of having another postseason run. The only drawback is the Warriors’ record in the Play-In tournament.
Barring last season, the franchise has been eliminated from the tournament twice before. With that knowledge, Green needs to be excited about what’s to come. It may not be the playoffs. But the Warriors need to have a skip in their step to advance further. It’s not a bunch of easy teams they face.
Do you think they can do it? Let us know your views in the comments below.
