Warriors’ Draymond Green Offers Praise for Rockets’ Star

Golden State forward Draymond Green gave praise to Houston's star of the first round.

May 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) is unable to gain control of the ball before a timeout was called by the Houston Rockets in the fourth quarter of game six of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

On Friday night, the Rockets did the unthinkable, waltzing into Chase Center and issuing the Warriors an 8-point loss that would force a pivotal Game 7.

Veteran guard Fred VanVleet was again the driving force offensively, adding a game-high 29 points on 7-for-13 shooting overall, including nailing six of his nine attempted triples. He hit all nine of his free throw attempts, in addition to eight rebounds and assists apiece.

After inefficient outings in the first three games of the series, VanVleet has now played a man possessed, combining to score 80 points in the last three, two of which were win-or-go home. He’s shot 59% in total across the three games in helping to take down the Stephen Curry and Draymond Green-led Warriors.

In Game 6’s postgame presser, Green — who’s been a stingy defensive presence for decades in Golden State — was asked if he was surprised at VanVleet’s increased production of late.

“No, I’m not surprised one bit,” Green said quickly. “Fred VanVleet is the reason we lost to Toronto in the Finals. So, we know what he’s capable of. Not surprised at all.”

Across six games in the 2019 Finals – four of which Toronto won, obviously — VanVleet averaged 14.0 points on 44% shooting overall and 40% 3-point shooting. Alongside Kawhi Leonard, he was paramount in keeping the Raptors in games with both timely offense and stingy defense, topping out at 22 points on just under 50% shooting in a decisive Game 6.

While the Raptors backs certainly weren’t against the wall like the 2024-25 Rockets have been, VanVleet has been crucial across both series. 

When VanVleet was initially signed to around a $120 million deal, many thought of it as an overpay. But in addition to being a steady, experienced presence for Houston, he’s now proving his positive impact on basketball’s biggest stage.

The Rockets and Warriors will tip off a highly anticipated Game 7 at 7:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 4.