Draymond Green recently put on his imaginary commissioner hat and laid out 10 changes he believes would make the NBA better.
On Friday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the Warriors forward noted he wasn’t trying to “fix” the league, but rather suggest ways to improve it.
“I wouldn’t say fix the NBA because I don’t think the NBA needs fixing,” Green said. “I think the NBA is great, but I think improve the NBA, make the NBA better.”
Green’s list covered everything from draft eligibility and officiating transparency to defensive rules and player recovery standards on the road.
Here are the 10 changes Green would make if he were NBA commissioner:
- Change draft rule: High school or 2 years of college
- More transparency with refs
- Let defense have more leeway
- Adapt the FIBA rim tap rule
- Retain 2 challenges if past challenge was correct
- Call traveling more
- Call offensive foul on ball swipe
- Make positions a thing w/ All-NBA and All-Defense again
- Make standards for arenas universal in the NBA
- Get rid of 65-game rule for awards
Green spent the most time explaining his proposed draft change, saying he believes the NBA should move away from the “one-and-done” model.
“If you don’t go straight out of high school and you go to college, I think you should stay for two years of college,” Green stated. “I don’t think there should be one and done.”
Green argued the current system encourages players to spend only a few months on campus before turning their attention to the NBA.
“I think what you’re teaching kids with the one-and-done rule is to go to a place for five months, be half one foot in, one foot out, and then go on your way,” Green added.
He also called for more transparency involving referees, saying the current lack of public accountability creates doubt around the league.
“In a league where you’re so transparent about everything, it’s the one thing you’re not as transparent about,” Green said. “And I think ultimately it allows people to question our league. It allows people to question the integrity of our league.”
Another major point for Green was allowing defenders more freedom. He argued the NBA has leaned too far toward offense and that lower-scoring games can still be entertaining.
“I think ultimately at one point the NBA tipped so far left to score more points that people aren’t really looking for that anymore,” Green explained. “Like nobody’s looking for a game to be 130 to 128. What people are looking for is a game to be 104 to 101.”
Green also took aim at what he views as offensive advantages created by officiating, including uncalled travels and foul-drawing moves that put defenders in difficult positions.
On one specific move — when a ballhandler swipes through a defender’s arm to draw contact — Green said the league should treat it as an offensive foul.
“It should be called an offensive foul,” Green said. “They’ll stop doing it.”
Green’s ninth proposed change focused on player participation, but from a facilities standpoint rather than a punishment one. He believes the NBA should require every arena to meet the same recovery and locker room standards, especially for visiting teams.
“There’s no reason that there’s not a cold tub and a hot tub in every locker room in the NBA,” Green said.
To illustrate the point, Green referenced a recent Warriors trip to Memphis, where he recalled that he lacked basic recovery tools that help him prepare physically.
“If we’re talking about putting the best product on the floor, we’re talking about player participation for fans,” Green said. “There’s no reason that there’s not a cold tub and a hot tub in every locker room in the NBA.”
Green closed his list by calling for the removal of the NBA’s 65-game minimum for awards eligibility, arguing players should not be penalized for legitimate injuries.
“If guys have a freak injury … if they’ve been good enough in a voter’s mind to get an award, let them get the award,” Green noted.
While not every suggestion is likely to gain traction, Green made clear he sees room for improvement in several areas around the league.
“Those are my 10 things that I would change if I was the NBA commissioner to make our league a better place,” Green concluded. “I think our league is a great place. So, I don’t think it’s a fix. I just think it’s some changes that could help our league.”
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