Draymond Green chimes in on the Xavier Booker discussion

Draymond Green knows a thing or two about developing under Tom Izzo and he chimed in on the Xavier Booker discussion.

If you’ve even remotely been tuned in to Michigan State basketball this year, you know Xavier Booker’s playing time has been a big topic of discussion. Now, one of the most famous Spartans of all time (Draymond Green) has chimed in with his thoughts.

If Draymond Green is saying trust the process, I trust the process. pic.twitter.com/hUSRhMeYdX

— CD’s Sports Takes (@cdsportstakes) February 25, 2024

Green shared a post of Booker with his added caption “At some point yall will understand it’s ok for these young men to develop! Love it” while proceeding to tag the freshman.

Just this past week, Booker himself opened up about trusting Izzo’s process for him and the role he’s been playing. Tom Izzo praised Booker for his added weight and improvement throughout the season.

When you come to a program as a five-star recruit, expectations are high. For Booker, he not only came in as a five-star but was also listed as the No. 2 center in his class according to On3. When you pair this hype with the underwhelming play the Spartans currently have at the position, it’s understandable that fans are asking for more minutes for Booker.

While Draymond wasn’t rated as high as Booker as a recruit, he knows a thing or two about taking the time to develop under Tom Izzo.

As a freshman, Green averaged 11.4 minutes per game along with 3.3 points per game. In all four years at Michigan State, Green consistently improved in every major category ending with a 33-minutes-per-game average and over 16 points per game. Green’s patience and development at Michigan State are what have turned him into one of the most versatile players in the NBA.

The ceiling for Booker remains unknown but fans continue to see flashes of the player he could be. With Izzo having a plan that Booker is on board with, and former Spartan greats endorsing the process, fans need to practice patience and let Booker grow into form organically rather than being forced into it.

Spartan fans are hoping Booker follows a similar development process to Draymond Green and many other Spartan bigs for however long he remains in East Lansing.