For almost a decade, Draymond Green has been considered the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors. Green’s energy is practically contagious when he’s on the floor, and the entire team follows suit when he’s engaged.
It’s another story when that energy is contagious to the point that it’s negatively affecting the team, and that’s how it looks for the Warriors right now.
Green was recently ejected on Dec. 13 for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face during the game. He had just come back from a suspension for choking Rudy Gobert during an in-game scuffle between the Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
For years, Green has been known for his extracurricular actions on the court, whether hitting or kicking someone below the waist, falling over on somebody, arguing with the refs, or choking the opposition. Green also knocked out his teammate in practice before.
Though Green has been punished for these actions time after time, they continue to happen. During the latest incident, Green apologized to Nurkic for hitting him and said he didn’t intend to hit him, but also noted that if he wants to do something, he won’t apologize, which we’ve seen several times from him.
Last season, Green punched his ex-teammate, Jordan Poole, and their relationship for the remainder of the season wasn’t the same. The Warriors made it to the second round of the playoffs despite the rift, but in the end, Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards. This year, the Warriors are having one of the worst starts of the season, and part of that could be because the heart and soul of the team has gotten out of control.
The NBA will most likely suspend Green for more than five games this time, but it’s time to think about the direction the Warriors should go in moving forward. Green’s antics may be so detrimental to the team that they’re bringing the morale down to the point that head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t comment on the situation.
Green brings a defensive tenacity to the court and an IQ many players don’t have, but the other things in his game are holding him, and possibly the Warriors, back from reaching their potential.
