Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was a complete non-factor against the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
After impacting the outcome in several positive ways during the Warriors' Game 2 win, Green was actually a hinderance to his team's performance at TD Garden.
Kendrick Perkins doesn't mince words on Draymond Green's Game 3 performance
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Green played 35 minutes and scored only two points with four rebounds, three assists, two turnovers and six fouls. He struggled defensively, too, as the Celtics won 116-100 to take a 2-1 series lead.
The veteran forward received plenty of criticism for his performance. Hall of Fame guard Isiah Thomas said Green had a lack of mental toughness, focus and concentration.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was forceful in his assessment of Green as well.
"You needed something, anything, from Draymond Green offensively, and unfortunately, it was beyond anemic," Smith said on "SportsCenter" Wednesday night.
Boston Celtics
"It was a complete and utter no show offensively. He only attempted four shots and ended up with just two points. He had more fouls than points for crying out loud, that's how bad it was. As a result, the Warriors are in a world of trouble because you don't want to go down 3-1 to Boston."
The Warriors need Green to be far more effective in Game 4 or we'll probably see Golden State return home for Game 5 facing elimination.
Green doesn't need to score 10-15 points, but he can't be a liability on both ends of the floor, especially defensively. The Warriors don't have a lot of depth. His role of defending Jaylen Brown is crucial to the Warriors' chances of winning the series. It's hard to imagine Golden State winning three of the next four games if Green doesn't play at an elite level defensively.