Barkley rebukes Draymond for double standard rant
Most NBA players and former players seemed to appreciate Draymond Green for speaking out against the double standard he says exists between teams and players when it comes to trades.
Then there’s Charles Barkley, who said he’d appreciate it if Green would just keep quiet.
Barkley, the TNT analyst and Hall of Famer, took exception to Green’s unprompted attack Monday on how NBA teams are allowed to sit players while attempting to trade them, yet players are vilified for requesting to be traded.
“I think Draymond has to really be careful,” Barkley said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “All that stuff is cute when you’re winning. But when you’re in last place, it’s annoying.
“I think Draymond’s got to start learning you can say what you want to when you’re the champs and you’re in first place. But when you’re in last place, you become the guy who becomes annoying.”
Barkley also took exception after Simmons pointed out the outspoken Green is really just doing what Barkley did 30 years ago.
“Well, I think there’s a difference. He’s on a really good team. I was a great player,” said Barkley, who insists he gets along with Green and likes him as a person. “There’s a double standard on that. When you’re a great player, you can do and say what you want to do. When you’re on a good team, you can do and say what you want to. When you’re in last place, you have to stand down. He hasn’t learned that yet.”
Barkley went on to defend NBA teams’ right to do what
they feel is best in order to protect their talent. Unlike Green, Barkley believes the Cavaliers are doing the right thing by not playing a healthy Andre Drummond while they pursue a trade.
“They’re trying to protect their asset, and they’re gonna trade him. They’re doing what’s best for them,” said Barkley. “If (Drummond) gets hurt, you don’t want a guy making $30 million a year on your cap for the next two years.”
Green, meanwhile, contrasted the Cavaliers’ sitting out Drummond without being criticized while James Harden “was castrated for wanting to go to a different team” when he wanted to be traded from Houston.
Green has an ally in another retired NBA great who’s a TNT analyst.
“I definitely agree that it’s a double standard when it comes to ownership or organizations and players,” Dwyane Wade said on TNT on Tuesday night. “I know
a lot of people out there are (like), ‘Oh you guys are getting paid a lot of money, it doesn’t matter.’ But it does, because a lot of players in our league have families.”
“Some players are told sometimes, ‘Hey, you’re not getting traded.’ Then they get traded. Some players have to find out by the media. I’ve heard stories of players finding out been at a gas station, somebody walked up to them and said, ‘Hey man, you just got traded to such and such.’ ”
GREEN A LATE SCRATCH >> Green was ruled out of Wednesday night’s game against the Miami Heat with right ankle soreness.
Green had started the past seven games at center. With Green sidelined, 6-foot-6 forward Juan Toscano-Anderson started at center. Mychal Mulder got his first start of the season alongside Stephen Curry, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Wiggins and Toscano-Anderson.
In 24 games, Green has averaged 5.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.3 assists. LOONEYCOULDRETURNDURING UPCOMING TRIP >> The Warriors are hopeful center Kevon Looney, who has missed the last eight games with a sprained left ankle, can return at some point during the team’s upcoming four-game trip.
Looney was re-evaluated before Golden State’s game against the Miami Heat for the injury he suffered Feb. 2. The Warriors say he’s “making good progress” and could return during the latter stage of a road trip that starts Friday in Orlando, then goes through Charlotte, New York and Indiana.
Both Looney and Wiseman, who will be re-evaluated Thursday for a left wrist sprain, will travel with the team and could return to the lineup at some point during the trip.