Draymond shades Gobert for not guarding Jokic in playoffs

Draymond shades Gobert for not guarding Jokic in playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green never shies away from an opportunity to throw shade at Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.

On the most recent episode of the Warriors star’s podcast “The Draymond Green Show,” Green seemingly took shots at Gobert for not stepping up to guard three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić during Minnesota’s blowout win over Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinal round.

Green pointed out that despite winning his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award this season, Gobert often has allowed Jokić to be guarded by teammate Karl-Anthony Towns instead.

“How about this, we sit here breaking down [Karl-Anthony Towns] having to stop [Nikola Jokić] who’s a center, and the Defensive Player of the Year is on your team and he’s a center,” Green said on his podcast. “Very interesting how the cookie crumbles. Wow, unbelievable.

“It’s like if Marcus Smart won Defensive Player of the Year back then [in 2022], which he did, but they’re like, ‘Jaylen [Brown] you got to go guard Steph [Curry]. But Marcus Smart’s a point guard. Marcus Smart you won Defensive Player of the Year, you got to go guard Steph, right?”

“I can’t help but notice there is a center [Gobert] that won Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth time. Tied with the likes of the great Hall of Fame Ben Wallace. The great, Hall of Fame Dikembe Mutombo. Ahead of the likes of the great David Robinson, the great Hakeem the Dream Olajuwon, the great Dwight Howard. Ahead of the likes of those guys. And we got a center, and we’re asking KAT to go guard the center. And we got the reigning, four-time Defensive Player of the Year on our team.”

It’s not the first time Green has taken shots at Gobert during his series against Jokić. During a recent appearance on TNT’s “Inside The NBA,” Green proclaimed that Gobert was “barbecue chicken” in his matchup with the reigning MVP.

Green and Gobert have had a longstanding and well-publicized beef for years, including a stunning moment when the Warriors forward put the Timberwolves big man in a chokehold during a first-quarter scuffle in a Nov. 14 matchup between Golden State and Minnesota.

With the Timberwolves and Nuggets set to square off in a Game 7 showdown on Sunday in Denver, you can count on Green keeping a close eye on Gobert’s performance in Minnesota’s win-or-go-home game.

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