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Draymond Green On Jimmy Butler’s Three-Point Attempt In Final Seconds Of Game 7: “That Shot Shouldn’t Have Been Taken” 

Jimmy Butler caught some flak in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics when he took a three-point shot in transition while being down by two points in the final seconds of the game. 

The shot would’ve given the lead and would’ve shifted the momentum of the game with roughly 16 seconds left in the clock. Unfortunately, Butler missed the shot, and the Celtics ended up walking off with a series win.

Many fans and basketball pundits alike questioned Butler’s shot selection including Golden State Warriors defensive anchor Draymond Green. Appearing in his own podcast, the three-time Warriors champion explained why Butler’s three-point attempt was a bad shot.

“I personally think that shot shouldn’t have been taken,” Green said. “And the reason I thought that it was a bad shot was because that shot right there, that was it. That was like — the shot simply said, ‘We’re either winning this, or we’re going home.’ And once the shot was missed, it just felt like somebody took a little staple or a little safety pin and just poked right at the balloon, and the air just left out of the building once that shot was missed, as opposed to Jimmy Butler, who we know is absolutely amazing at getting to the rim and even better at getting to the rim and getting fouled.

“And so you have a backpedaling Al Horford with a ton of space with your shooters running to fill it in, and you’re sitting at 35 points. You’re at home, crowd’s into it. If Jimmy Butler drives that basketball and scores or if Jimmy even drives, the likelihood of you getting a foul call — and you’re on your home court, and Jimmy’s great at getting fouled — is significantly higher. And so if Jimmy drives that basketball and he scores, or he gets fouled, and the game is tied, all of the pressure then turns to the Boston Celtics.”