Warriors Star Draymond Green Torches Hornets for Tanking ‘in Plain Sight’

Draymond Green’s Criticism of Charlotte Hornets’ Tanking Tactics

The Golden State Warriors’ star forward Draymond Green recently expressed his frustration over what he perceives as the Charlotte Hornets’ blatant tanking efforts during a podcast interview. Speaking to reporters following the Warriors’ 136-116 win over the Hornets at Chase Center, Green highlighted several instances where he believes the Hornets are intentionally lowering their performance on the court.

One of the primary points of contention for Green was the decision by the Hornets to remove star point guard LaMelo Ball from the starting lineup leading up to a recent game. “The Charlotte Hornets are a team that is tanking right in your face in plain sight,” Green said, referring to the fact that Ball was playing off the bench despite being one of the team’s key players.

Ball’s Bench Status and Off-Court Performance

Green elaborated on his observation by pointing out how Charlotte’s offense became much easier to guard when LaMelo Ball wasn’t on the floor. He recalled a specific instance where he found it unusual that Ball was being brought off the bench, stating, “Saturday night we start our meeting and we’re going through the staring lineup and I’m looking, like ‘Melo not playing?’ and they’re like ‘No, he’s playing. He’s coming off the bench’ and I’m sitting there looking like ‘Huh?

What? He coming off the bench?'”

Green also noted that Ball’s performance in a recent game against the Warriors on December 31 was cut short as he exited the game at a certain point, which Green found suspicious. “They are tanking in plain sight. And you know they aren’t looking to trade LaMelo because they’re bringing him off the bench,” Green added. “You’d be playing him, so everyone can see him and get excited. So they’re really just tanking in plain sight and I think that sucks.”

Charlotte Hornets’ Justification

Hornets coach Charles Lee and Ball himself have been asked about the star guard not starting some games in recent weeks, and both have pointed to load management as the primary reason for the decision. The game against the Warriors on Saturday was particularly noteworthy because it was part of a back-to-back situation with the Hornets playing the Denver Nuggets the following day.

Green is a big fan of Ball’s game and believes that having him on the court elevates the entire offense. He pointed out, “You have a point guard that is built to set all of those guys up, and he’s on the bench on that team, I don’t get it.” Green also noted his concerns about tanking in general, stating, “The real problem is these teams that be tanking, and that’s been a problem for a very long time … and it’s still a problem.

You’ve got teams tanking right in your face, bringing LaMelo off the bench. Ridiculous. I thought that was whack.”

Future Implications for Tanking in the NBA

Tanking is not a new phenomenon in the NBA, as Green mentioned, but now with the league considering new rules to combat it, including potentially restricting top draft picks and pick protections and ensuring teams can’t pick within the top four picks in consecutive seasons, it soon could become less and less of a problem. It’s clear that Green believes Charlotte should be one of the first teams reprimanded for their apparent tanking tactics.

The Warriors star’s comments come at a time when the NBA is closely examining ways to address the issue of tanking in order to preserve competitive balance within the league. As fans and analysts continue to scrutinize team decisions on the court, Green’s remarks serve as a reminder that these issues remain significant concerns for many in the basketball community.