Draymond Green made headlines one week ago when he defended Warriors teammate Marquese Chriss. Many have viewed Chriss as a bust since being taken by the Suns with the No. 8 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Draymond says otherwise.
“He’s been in some pretty tough situations,” Green told reporters last Wednesday night, after a 126-93 loss to the Lakers at Staples Center. “No one ever blames the situation, though. It’s always the kid. No one ever blames these s---ty franchises. They always want to blame the kid. It’s not always the kid’s fault."
Chriss isn't here to talk about the past. In an unexpected turn of events, he earned a spot on the Warriors' roster after an impressive preseason showing. The former lottery pick has a clean slate in San Francisco.
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But he certainly agrees with plenty of what his teammate had to say.
"It's night and day for me," Chriss said to KNBR's Mark Willard on Tuesday night. "I think being here, it's just the perfect fit. From top to bottom, the way the management is, the way they treat us, even the coaching staff is real relatable and real personable and they're actually invested in us as people and us as individuals as people."
Chris lasted just two years in Phoenix. He was traded to the Rockets before last season and then Houston traded him to the Cavs this past February. He received flak for his lack of hustle, poor shot selection and immaturity, though he's still just 22 years old.
Jared Dudley, Chriss' former teammate on the Suns who currently plays for the Lakers, came to Chriss' side after Green's rant last week. Dudley tweeted on the importance of team culture and Chriss' perceived poor shot selection.
With the Warriors, Chriss believes the best version of his game finally is being seen.
"I think the role that they've put me in is something that I'm good at," Chriss said. "My whole life I've been the kind of person to set people up and set screens and things like that. I think that's my strength -- setting screens and getting my other teammates open.
Golden State Warriors
"Being on this team, like I said before, they make it easy. You kind of just hand them the ball, make sure you screen their man and they'll do the rest."
The 6-foot-9 forward/center averaged 9.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Warriors in the preseason. He led the team in rebounding, ranked fourth in points and third in assists.
[RELATED: Chriss could be Warriors' best reclamation project in 15 years]
More than anything, the Sacramento native seems the happiest he has been in his NBA career.
"I just love being here," Chriss said. "Really, I think that's what it boils down to. They've put me in a position to succeed and understand my strong suit."
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