Following his five-game suspension for placing Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during a game against the Timberwolves two weeks ago, Draymond Green will start for the Warriors against the Kings on Tuesday night. With Green out of the lineup for 46 minutes of that Minnesota game, Golden State has struggled and is now 10th in the West with an 8-9 record overall.
Green’s history of going too far—whether it be with low blows, hitting a teammate during practice, stomping on an opponent, or, in this case, placing someone in a sleeper hold—was a contributing factor in his lengthy game suspension. Green was miffed by the league’s 5-game ban, which was based in part on his prior instances of “unsportsmanlike acts.” Green talked with media on Sunday for the first time since rejoining the team.
Green believed that after receiving his prior sentence for those acts, he shouldn’t be subjected to more punishment.
Unfortunately for Green, the NBA will undoubtedly continue to use his previous transgressions against him because they perceive them as a pattern of behavior. If he continues to act in this way, it will be assumed that the previous sanctions were insufficient to convince him to alter his behavior, and he will face more severe penalties. Green did appear to realize that many close to the Warriors weren’t ready to ignore this one, even though he wouldn’t go so far as to say he regretted what he had done. Steve Kerr claimed that his ban was “deserved,” and the league’s decision to apply the punishment this time didn’t truly bother anyone.
Green said he must pay attention to that and the league’s advice in order to stay on the field.
For many years, Green has played aggressively between the lines, and the Warriors have accepted this as a trade-off for the other benefits he provides. But during the past two years, the Warriors’ level of dissatisfaction has seemed to be higher, and Green seems to be hearing that he needs to learn how to better control his fury. The question of whether he can truly accomplish it is somewhat different, and most people would doubt his ability to do so.
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