Draymond Green’s return to the court isn’t too far away now after the NBA ended his indefinite suspension for striking Jusuf Nurkic last week. A lot has to change in terms of how Green acts on the court and there is one thing, in particular, that the Golden State Warriors want him to stop doing, as per head coach Steve Kerr.
“It’s a big part of it, and we’ve talked about it,” Kerr said when asked about Green saying that not crossing the line with referees is a point of emphasis for him. “Can he walk that line, can he still play with fire and energy, but leave the officials alone? That’s the challenge. It’s gonna be a big challenge. But we’re gonna ask him to do that. We need that so we can focus on the game. His teammates need that so that we can focus on all of the little details that are eluding us right now.”
For far too long, the Warriors have just let the 33-year-old get away with acting however he wants on the court. Had they taken such measures earlier on in his career, I don’t think Green would have ended up in trouble the way he has in recent times.
While this is certainly a step in the right direction, a leopard doesn’t change its spots. There will inevitably be moments when Green, who last played a game on December 12, goes at the officials, simply because it is what he has done throughout his career. The hope would be that the frequency would reduce significantly moving forward, and if Green genuinely tries his best to not cross that line, I do think it would.
Draymond Green’s Comments On The Officials
Green held his first press conference since the suspension on Tuesday, and he spoke on a wide range of topics. One of them was the officials and how he has made it a point of emphasis to not cross the line with how he behaves toward them.
“I think as far as not crossing the line with a referee, yes that’s a big point of emphasis for me, in knowing and understanding where that line is,” Green said. “But I didn’t make it to this point worried about touching the line, you know? I didn’t help this team and this organization become what we’ve become by worrying about crossing the line.”
The edge that the four-time All-Star brings has certainly helped the Warriors a lot over the years, but he has to keep things under control.
“If you would have talked to me two and a half weeks ago, I’m like, ‘I’m not crossing the line, I’m not doing this, I’m not doing that,’” Green continued. “But, as you continue to do work and put the work in, and as time goes by…for me it’s about developing a practice, developing a routine.”
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Green, who has averaged 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game this season, says he has received support from the Warriors and the NBA in the quest to develop better habits. We’ll find out just how much he has changed when he steps on the court.
Draymond’s return will certainly be a big boost to a Warriors team that has dropped to 17-19 in this 2023-24 season. His absence has been greatly felt on the defensive end in these last 13 games, with Golden State having a defensive rating of 121.0 in that time, which ranks 26th in the NBA.
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