Draymond Green is skeptical of ESPN’s Top 25 Under 25 list, particularly doubting how Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers is higher than Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Green believes the latter’s performance this season deserves to be higher in the rankings.
Williams, positioned ninth, is averaging 21.5 points with a shooting efficiency of 53% this season. According to the rankings, he’s also good in terms of defense and providing flexibility all around the court.
Meanwhile, the sixth-placer Tyrese Haliburton averages 17.5 points. A once MVP contender, he has declined in performance due to his hamstring injury. He had a bad start last October, having a 40% overall in shooting.
The rankings made Draymond Green believe there’s something wrong. While he praised Haliburton’s talent, winning the gold medal last Paris Olympics, he considers Williams should’ve gained more attention, highlighting his potential in height and versatility.
“What justifies Tyrese Haliburton being in front of Jalen Williams? Don’t get me wrong—Tyrese is a very good player, an All-Star, and an Olympic gold medalist. But when I look at this, Jalen Williams has more upside,” Green said during an episode of his show.
“Jalen is 6’9″, can pass, shoot, get to the cup. Two weeks ago, he played center, then switched to point guard. When I see stuff like this, I wonder who validates it. Yes, Tyrese has done more, but Jalen Williams’ upside is higher than a lot of people on this list. Not just Tyrese—this applies to a lot of names.”
ESPN’s ranking featured its analysts picking NBA youngsters with the best performances this season. Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs gets the first spot, followed by Anthony Edwards and Paolo Banchero.
Draymond Green shares candid experiences from his time with a former teammate
Draymond Green and Kevin Durant are known for their heated relationship during their team-up at the Golden State Warriors. Despite the latter’s departure in 2019, the two continue to be fierce with each other. Green, however, recently disclosed harboring credit over Durant.
In an episode of his podcast with Baron Davis, Green revealed that Durant triggered their rivalry. Ever since, the two had constantly confronted each other, something the Warriors forward found enjoyable.
Green then shared how he and Durant eased tensions with playful banter on the court. He said he had fun with their rivalry.
“Just having that battle, that banter was great, man. And I enjoyed the hell out of it. You say what you want about Kevin Durant, he is Kevin Durant. So I was very appreciative,” Green said.
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Draymond Green and Durant had garnered two consecutive championships at the Warriors, both making achievements. The latter, now on the Pheonix Suns, emerged victorious against the former’s Warriors last Saturday.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
