Off-the-court issues are common practice in the NBA, with players either getting in trouble with the law or publicly partying a little too much leading to constant questions about their character.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green believes he knows why players in the NBA have off-the-court issues persistently in today’s NBA.
The four-time NBA champion thinks that a lack of veteran leadership on teams in the league is why off-the-court issues happen so frequently, with Los Angeles Lakers center Tristan Thompson being used as an example, as he said on his podcast via The Volume.
"It's why we see a lot of the things we see in terms of off-court issues: there's no veterans showing these guys the way"
—@Money23Green speaks on the "veteran problem" affecting today's NBA pic.twitter.com/a6de76TKQD
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) May 23, 2023
Thompson remained unsigned for the majority of the season, with the Lakers finally taking a chance on the veteran journeyman to help bolster the frontcourt for their playoff run.
Green may have a point, as players like Thompson can provide value both on the court and in the locker room.
However, it’s unclear whether these veterans make the difference in championship runs, but then again, one could look at the teams left in the postseason.
The Miami Heat might be the perfect example, with Udonis Haslem being employed since 2003 and rarely seeing the basketball floor the last few years.
Haslem’s leadership has been highly valued by Erik Spoestra’s squad, with everyone in the organization, from the players to the coaches praising his ability to help the team in many ways.
Veteran players like Thompson and Haslem can help, and maybe if the Memphis Grizzlies had one to lean on, their season might have gone differently, with superstar Ja Morant potentially not becoming as much of a distraction.
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