Draymond Green compared to notorious OJ Simpson by 2x NBA champion

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green' antics can sometimes go over the top resulting in fouls and altercations with opponents.

Draymond Green compared to notorious OJ Simpson by 2x NBA champion

Vernon Maxwell compares Draymond Green to OJ Simpson

Draymond Green has built a reputation for being one of the most intelligent basketball players. His ability to dissect offenses and defenses has helped the Golden State Warriors win four NBA titles in a decade. He has always played in a way that defies his 6′ 6″ height.

One of the things he has resorted to many times to impose his physicality has been his aggressiveness. Whether it is while setting plays or boxing out an opponent, he always tries to win. But sometimes, he ends up crossing the line, which results in either fouls or altercations with opponents.

In game two of their 1st round series matchup against the Houston Rockets, Green had to set the tone early. That started with some shoves and pushes, which seemed to bother Rockets players. Then he brought in some taunting and trash talk, which almost led to an inter-team altercation.

All those antics did not work as the Warriors lost the game 94-109. But the most worrying part was when they lost Jimmy Butler to a pelvis injury early in the first quarter. After reviewing the tape, officials did not deem it to be more than just a foul. But two-time champion Vernon Maxwell believed something else caused that play.

Draymond Green is the OJ Simpson of basketball.

Vernon Maxwell wrote

By referring to the notorious OJ Simpson, Maxwell might be alleging that Draymond Green‘s antics were indirectly responsible for this injury. Since his aggressive play is a staple of his game, opposition players look to sell a foul every time he touches them. In that incident, Amen Thompson was looking to sell a foul after Green apparently tripped him, but ended up injuring Butler.

Draymond Green tries to sell a foul just like his best friend, LeBron James

Draymond Green’s antics did not help the Golden State Warriors win the game. But he has had instances where his elite defense, with some help from those antics, has helped the team win games. Tonight against the Houston Rockets, he also tried to sell a foul just like his best friend, LeBron James, did in their playoff game yesterday.

The Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner was trying to block Rockets star Jalen Green on a double screen. The younger Green tried to bump his older opponent away, but the 35-year-old is as strong as they come.

Not being able to push Draymond Green out of the way frustrated the younger Green, and he then used his left arm to try and swipe the Warriors star’s face. From one angle, it seems as if the Rockets guard did catch the Warriors star.

But a look from another angle shows that the four-time champion sold the foul well enough that officials assessed a Flagrant 1 on the Rockets guard. The flop was an easy sell as Jalen Green did swipe his hand. Had the older Green not flopped, officials might not have caught it.

Warriors have to carry on fighting without Jimmy Butler

Ever since Jimmy Butler joined the Golden State Warriors, they have become a different team. They play smarter, control the pace as per their needs, and have stepped up their defensive tone. But now that he is injured, their form heading into games 3 and 4 will be a concern, as head coach Steve Kerr summed it up.

If Jimmy’s out, we have to rethink everything.

Steve Kerr said

The highest-paid coach in the NBA understands that now he has a selection headache on his hands. If Butler is not ready for those two home games, he will have to experiment with his starters and role players to see how they fare.

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