Draymond criticizes Gobert for not defending Jokic in the playoffs.

Draymond criticizes Gobert for not defending Jokic in the playoffs.

Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green didn’t hold back when discussing Rudy Gobert’s performance against Nikola Jokic during the NBA playoffs. Following the Denver Nuggets’ Game 5 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Green took the opportunity to critique Gobert’s inability to contain Jokic, who delivered an impressive 40-point performance along with 13 assists and seven rebound.

On “Inside the NBA,” Green sat in for Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley and relished the chance to analyze Gobert’s struggles. Green humorously referred to Gobert as “BBQ chicken,” a term popularized by Shaq to describe an easy defensive matchup, and remarked on Gobert’s futility in stopping Jokic. He highlighted that despite Gobert’s accolades as a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, he was no match for Jokic’s versatile offensive skills.

Green’s sharpest jab came when he mocked Gobert’s post-game comments, mimicking the Frenchman’s accent and saying, “The big Frenchman is sitting on that podium, speaking his native language, ‘we, we, we need to do this.’ You, you, you need to get a stop,” emphasizing that Gobert should take personal responsibility for his defensive lapses.

This latest critique adds to the ongoing narrative that Gobert, despite his defensive reputation, has significant weaknesses when matched against elite offensive players like Jokic, who has consistently found ways to exploit Gobert’s defense in high-stakes games.