“ I don’t live with regrets. ” This principle, Draymond Green seems to want to apply it in all circumstances. Including when it comes to strangling an opponent in the middle of a match, in this case Rudy Gobert.
“ I will stand up for a teammate whenever I am able to do so. What matters to me is, first and foremost, how the people I care about feel. How are the people I love affected? How should the people I love cope? That’s all for me », develops the inside of the Warriors, quoted by ESPN.
So no, Draymond Green does not regret his dangerous gesture towards the Wolves pivot, triggered by the start of an altercation between Jaden McDaniels and Klay Thompson. The Frenchman had intervened between the two men to calm things down; the Californian had intervened to defend his playing partner. And attack Gobert.
Result: five match suspension. The history between the two players, competing for years for the defender of the year trophy, probably played a role in the reaction of the Warriors player. At what point ?
A consensus around its way of doing things
“ Things can be interpreted however people want to interpret them. I’m not here to judge people’s interpretations or try to change them. They are what they are. I know for me, I will always be there for my teammates. This is who I am. This is who I am as a teammate, as a friend. Whether you are right, wrong or indifferent, look next to you, I will be there – or even in front of you “, formulates Green, whose behavior has been described as ” inexcusable » by his coach.
Inside doesn’t expand on his dealings with Steve Kerr since, or franchise GM Mike Dunleavy. But gives an insight into the perception of events internally: “ The consensus among all of us is that I will be myself no matter what. This will not change. But in saying that, there is always a better way to do things. So it’s about finding a better way. This is the consensus among all of us. »
Draymond Green, sanctioned on the basis of his past contentious behavior, reports that the question he regularly asks himself after these incidents is the following: “ Do I learn a lesson from this? » What often comes to his mind is that his team needs him on the pitch.
Not the savior of the Warriors
This is the case today. Before their trip to Sacramento on Tuesday, where the interior must sign its return, the Californians have a negative record (8v-9d) and recently ended a series of six consecutive defeats. This meeting will also be decisive for access to the quarter-final of the tournament.
“ Where I can help the most is by requiring everyone to communicate. I’m not going to come back and say, ‘Oh, he’s the savior.’ This bullshit doesn’t work. There is no savior in the NBA. But what I can do is come back and hold more people accountable », displays Green who points to ‘spacing’, defense and ball losses as the main problems to solve for his training.
“ Our defense instantly improves with Draymond, we know that. It is then a matter of finding the right combinations in the game, with a good rhythm and a good functioning. We are looking for the best version of our team on both ends of the court », displays Steve Kerr who does not intend to restrict the minutes of his interior for his return.
