The Warriors reacted to the announcement of the suspension until further notice pronounced by the NBA against Draymond Green, after the punch delivered by the latter to Jusuf Nurkic. It was the new GM of the franchise, Mike Dunleavy Jr, who stepped up to the plate to demonstrate that he had mastered the practice of a perilous communication exercise.
On the one hand, the manager could not defend his player in relation to his repeated acts of violence. On the other hand, he couldn't lower it either, especially after extending it for four years for $100 million this summer. The GM therefore assured that his franchise would support his player as much as possible on the path to redemption, without being able to guarantee that Draymond Green would finally calm down…
“I can’t guarantee that.”, said Mike Dunleavy Jr.. “I can just say that we will continue to do what we need to do to help him. I think we have done a decent job in this area in the past and we will continue to work on all of this. There are many parties involved. For me, the most important thing is not the sanction, but the help and assistance.”
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Mike Dunleavy Jr. was to meet Draymond Green and his agent Rich Paul yesterday in order to lay the foundations for a possible return, which would therefore involve a “help and advice” program to try to channel the 'interior. Furthermore, Draymond Green should remain in contact with the group even if he will not be there on a daily basis. He was not at the meeting last night on the Clippers floor for example.
Between diplomacy and firmness
This time, the NBA and the Warriors seem determined to tackle the problem head on and change the behavior of their interior which remains valuable to Steve Kerr's workforce when he concentrates solely on basketball. After each deviation, Draymond Green assured that he would never change his way of being, because that is what had led him to the heights of the NBA. But this time, he will indeed have to change.
“It’s part of the dance that we have to lead and part of the things that we have to fix,” added Mike Dunleavy Jr. “He must be aware of that. Hopefully we can get him to a point where he's still as energetic and competitive as ever. And if situations arise, he will have to find a way to control them.”
A diplomat, Mike Dunleavy Jr must also show firmness when the moods of a player threaten the balance of an entire collective, as has been the case on too many occasions. As such, he does not imagine an unhappy ending and remains convinced that the person concerned will become aware of the issues.
“I think it's something that a lot of people see as a problem, but we're looking to turn it into something positive. He is at a point in his career and his life where we want to set things straight. Maybe you need a shock like this. I think he's been very positive, very open and I'm extremely optimistic about our ability to achieve our goals.”concluded Mike Dunleavy Jr.
A necessary change
Same speech from Steve Kerr, who recognizes that the situation is not simple.
“It’s about helping Draymond. This is an opportunity for Draymond to step away and create change. And that's not an easy thing to do. We don't say to ourselves: 'OK, five matches and then he'll be fine'. That's what the league did… The answer isn't to pick a number [de matches]. The answer is to help Draymond.”
At Golden State, however, we protected Draymond Green a lot. Because he was essential to the club's sporting success, he was not really punished following the punch on Jordan Poole. It was even he who finally “won” since the full-back was transferred while he was on his side extended by the club.
This suspension is therefore also a way for the Warriors to regain control, the sporting importance of Draymond Green no longer being able to offer him total impunity…
“It’s not just about spillover on the ground. It's about his life. This is someone I believe in, who I have known for decades, who I love for his loyalty.”concluded Steve Kerr. “But the one who choked Rudy [Gobert]the one who attacked Jusuf, the one who hit Jordan [Poole], he is the one who must change. »
| Draymond Green | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 79 | 13 | 32.7 | 20.9 | 81.8 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.9 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 82 | 22 | 40.7 | 33.3 | 66.7 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 6.2 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 79 | 32 | 44.3 | 33.7 | 66.0 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 8.2 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 11.7 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 81 | 35 | 49.0 | 38.8 | 69.6 | 1.7 | 7.8 | 9.5 | 7.4 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 14.0 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 76 | 33 | 41.8 | 30.8 | 70.9 | 1.3 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 10.2 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 70 | 33 | 45.4 | 30.1 | 77.5 | 1.1 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 11.0 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 66 | 31 | 44.5 | 28.5 | 69.2 | 0.9 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 7.4 |
| 2019-20 | GOS | 43 | 28 | 38.9 | 27.9 | 75.9 | 0.5 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 8.0 |
| 2020-21 | GOS | 63 | 32 | 44.7 | 27.0 | 79.5 | 0.9 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 8.9 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 7.1 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 46 | 29 | 52.5 | 29.6 | 65.9 | 1.0 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 7.5 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 73 | 32 | 52.7 | 30.5 | 71.3 | 0.9 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 8.5 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 15 | 25 | 49.0 | 42.9 | 83.3 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 9.7 |
| Total | 773 | 29 | 44.9 | 31.7 | 71.4 | 1.1 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 8.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
