When power forward Draymond Green entered the NBA in 2012 as a second-round pick of the Golden State Warriors, he had the reputation of being a hard worker. Green spent four years playing under head basketball coach Tom Izzo in his Michigan State Spartans basketball program. And by Green’s senior season, he was the Big Ten Conference’s Player of the Year, along with being a first-team All-American. In Green’s first two years with the Warriors, he was a bench player who barely averaged 20 minutes per game. However when the decision was made to fire Mark Jackson and replace with him with Steve Kerr as the Warriors head coach in 2014, Green now found himself in the starting lineup. In Green’s first season under Kerr, he would average 11.7 points and 8.2 rebounds as he would be key in Golden State winning their first NBA Championship since 1975. Green has gone on to become a two-time NBA All-Star, and although that his teammate in point guard Steph Curry is the reigning two-time NBA MVP, there is a consensus that feel that Green is Golden State’s best player due to the fact he can facilitate, rebound, score, and play defense. However as good as Green can be, there are some negative attributes that he brings to the table as well.
Green has taken it upon himself to become the NBA’s bad boy. Green has received his fair share of flagrant fouls and fines in the past few years due to his unnecessary contact with opponents. Two of the most infamous incidents occurred last year during the NBA Playoffs. In Game Three of the Western Conference Finals, Green kicked Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams in his groin. Green was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and fined $25k by the NBA, and even with that some people felt that he got off light. In the Game Four of the NBA Finals, the Warriors were well on their way to taking a 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers when Green got himself into a tussle with Cavs small forward LeBron James. Both players would be assessed technical fouls, but since it was Green’s fourth technical of the postseason, he would be suspended by the NBA for Game Five. The Cavaliers would have new life as they rallied to win the NBA Championship, and many pointed to Green’s blunder as a big reason why.
And after the Warriors blew a 3-1 series lead, you would think that Green would have had a new outlook on things coming into this NBA season, but that hasn’t been the case. Green is still the glue for what the Warriors want to do, however he continues to make boneheaded decisions.
In the Warriors 132-127 loss to the Houston Rockets on December 1, Green could be seen kicking Rockets point guard James Harden in the face while attempting to secure a rebound. Green was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul, but he was not suspended by the NBA. During the Warriors 123-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on February 23, Green kicked Clippers power forward Blake Griffin while tussling for a loose ball which resulted in no fine or suspension by the NBA.
Green has yet to learn his lesson as gone are the days in the NBA when teams had enforcers who would be put into the game simply to retaliate against players such as himself. Early in the Hall of Fame career of Michael Jordan, if anyone were to breath on him in the wrong way, they had to deal with Charles Oakley. The Detroit Pistons of the late 1980’s were the ultimate intimidators who dared opponents to cross them. But ever since “The MalIce At The Palace” in 2004, the landscape of the NBA has changed with a no-nonsense policy as far as fighting goes, and Green has taken full advantage of it.
Green knows that he can continue his on-court antics because there aren’t that many players left in the league who are willing to confront him. And at this point the only way to slow Green down is a physical altercation due to the fact that fines and a suspension in the NBA Finals have not made him change his ways. However it will only take Green to try his luck against the wrong player in the NBA that would escalate into brawl before the league would be forced to sit him down.
There’s nothing wrong with playing with intensity in order to win. But there is a fine line playing hard and being stupid. Green is taking the latter approach and I don’t understand why this is being allowed to happen. Once again the Warriors have a very good chance of winning the NBA Title. However if nobody is able to get Green under control, all of the fantastic shooting ability that is possessed by Curry, shooting guard Klay Thompson, or small forward Kevin Durant won’t mean a thing.
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