“Peace is at hand.”
Henry Kissinger? No, Chris Webber.
It has been three weeks since Webber, a TNT NBA analyst, opined that if the Warriors’ Draymond Green “was on other teams and expected to score, he might not be in the starting lineup.” Apprised of Webber’s remarks, Green made reference to how nicely his championship rings fit and laughed it off.
Focusing on the seven words that darn near exploded the ballyhoo meter, “might not be in the starting lineup,” pundits took pot shots at Webber, and Warriors fans kicked him around like a Hacky Sack.
A bona fide contretemps? Maybe not, but it was easy pickings. And so the subject took on a shelf life of its own.
Tuesday, 14 hours after Green turned in a routinely spectacular effort in the Warriors’ victory over Houston in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Webber was asked on a TNT conference call if he was surprised at the intensity of the blowback from his remarks.
“No,” he said. “I really don’t care. The funny part is the way the question was asked after the game. Someone goes (to Green and says), ‘Chris Webber said you can’t start.’ That wasn’t fair. So let me clear what I said.
“I said that if Draymond was supposed to just score and that’s all he can do, there are teams he cannot start for. Or maybe would not start for because he’s more than a scorer. Period.”
That doesn’t exactly come off as a verbal kick to the caboose. Moreover, Webber doesn’t come off on air as a sensationalist like some TNT analysts (cough-cough, Charles Barkley! cough-cough). So let’s hear him out.
“(Green) is the engine on the best team that’s playing,” said Webber, who launched his 15-year NBA career with the Warriors in 1993. “He is the heart and soul. He is the defensive heart and soul. He’s another coach on the floor. He’s one of the best players to have on any team.”
Webber said he made a remark earlier this season that caused a bigger foofaraw than the “might not be in the starting lineup” instant classic.
“I got a lot of feedback for, and more flak from around the country, forget San Francisco, for saying that (Stephen) Curry is the MVP of the league, and Draymond is the MVP of the Warriors,” Webber said. “And people go, ‘How could that be?’ Well, if it wasn’t for Draymond, maybe you couldn’t hide Steph on D.”
Speaking of rhetorical brush fires.
“Draymond in the passing system, he allows Steph to be Steph by setting great screens,” Webber said. “Or allows Klay (Thompson) to be Klay by setting great screens or pushing the ball. And his selfless play allows him always to be the X factor. Even last night, I don’t know how many points he had, but I guarantee you he had over five assists and five rebounds and he had an impact on the game. (Editor’s note: Green had nine rebounds, nine assists and five points.)
“So to me, you want to play with guys that will help and allow you to win. In society we get caught up with just guys that score and maybe don’t do anything else for their team. And Draymond is not that type of player. He’s someone that will stuff the stat sheet and more importantly he is the engine on one of the best teams we’ve seen.”