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Scouting talent before the annual draft is a tough task that front offices often fail to solve.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green believes the issue is deeper than a few bad reports.
The discussion took place during an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George.
The episode was released around July 2023.
Green explained why certain methods still frustrate him so many years later.
The podcast clip was shared by X user @0xarslan, which revealed Greens exact thoughts.
He stated, GMs aint the smartest.
No, not at all, actually, most of them are pretty dumb.
In his view, front offices often overvalue workout results while undervaluing actual basketball impact.
Green expanded on how these front offices look at prospects during the summer.
Its analytical.
They want to see you hit a hundred threes.
They dont see it in a five-on-five.
Your greatest value is to put you on the court and let you dominate, and I dont see that in a draft workout According to him, shooting drills and individual stats remove the genuine pressure of a game.
Green argued that real value appears through instincts and adaptability during live competition.
The veteran forward also questioned the overall reputation of decision-makers in the league.
You always hear me talk about how smart the basketball minds are.
I dont think theyre very smart, Green noted.
He believes that basketball intelligence shows during competition, not on a spreadsheet.
To back up his point, Green explained that he completed 21 pre-draft workouts before entering the league.
He performed well, yet teams still hesitated to call his name.
This specific disconnect between his workout success and his draft position is what led to his frustration with the system.
The forward remembered what scouts said about him before the 2012 draft.
I fell in the draft because they said: hes too short to be a four, hes too slow to be a three, so what position is he gonna guard? We dont know.
Because of these doubts, Green fell all the way to the second round, where the Warriors selected him with the 35th overall pick.
Green argues that teams focused on labels instead of looking at his skills and basketball IQ.
They missed the traits that mattered most, such as defensive switching and playmaking.
His exceptional career became the answer to every single person who doubted him.
Green won 4 NBA championships with the Warriors and earned 4 All-Star selections.
He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017 and several All-Defensive honors alongside 2 Olympic gold medals foe the team USA.
What are your thoughts on how teams judge talent today, and do they need to change their strategy? More must-reads:.