San Francisco – The Warriors tumultuous start to the season maybe behind them, as they look to a new lineup and unexpected talent unseen. Golden State has been rocked by the audacious behavior of Draymond Green this season. The NBA suspended the veteran player indefinitely the day after receiving an ejection for slapping Phoenix Suns Center Jusuf Nurkic’ in their 119-116 loss to the Suns on Dec 15.
This was a huge loss for the Warriors as Green has been the floor general and the only player to create space for Stephen Curry to shoot his 3s freely. Green has reportedly started counseling and will miss up to three weeks from the team. But is that enough time to help a player whose anger has dominated his game more than defense and rebounds? The organization has been vocal about wanting their star defensive player to get the help he needs moving forward.
Golden State’s head coach Steve Kerr addressed Green’s suspension His thoughts on Green’s explanation on selling a foul that led to being ejected.
“The one who choked Rudy Gobert, the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf, the one who punched Jordan Poole last year… that’s the guy who needs to change. This is not about an outburst on court, it’s about life. It’s about someone who I believe in, someone I have known for decades, who I love for his loyalty.”
Green’s actions not only affected him but the entire team. Stephen Curry said the team had a meeting regarding the suspension and to get back on track. It’s obvious the team struggles have taken a toll on everyone. Both Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins were benched and to no surprise it worked. Thompson improved his performance for two straight games, he scored 24 points in the Warriors 124-120 win over the Brooklyn Nets and 28 points in the 118-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Wiggins added 25 points coming off the bench.
Curry changed his pregame warm-up time, then scored 37 points in the Nets win but could only muster 7 points in the win over the Trail Blazers. He went 0-for-8 from the arc, ending his 3-pointer streak at 268 games which was an NBA record. Curry’s streak began Dec 1, 2018, against the Detroit Pistons. But he remains the current NBA career leader with his 3,500th 3-pointer made against the Nets a few nights ago.
Kerr’s recent lineup change included more time for both rookies Tracye Jackson-Davis and Brandon Podziemski. They both have improved drastically and have earned the increase in minutes these last few games. Jackson-Davis scored 14 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in 18 minutes. While Podziemski earned the start for the past two games.
The Warriors hold the 11th spot in Western Conference standings and need a strong finish for the year. Their schedule’s quite challenging with the five remaining home games against the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and the Dallas Mavericks to name a few. Kerr has also improved his own tactics; he’s put the best players on the court and his new lineup proves it. If a player is struggling, then he will get benched. This is something we’re not used to seeing by Kerr, but the change has been the best for the team.
UP NEXT: Boston Celtics tomorrow at 7pm at Chase Center.
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BREAKING NEWS – The NBA suspends Draymond Green indefinitely after his recent flagrant foul 2 for his slap on Phoenix Suns Center Jusuf Nurkic’ which resulted in his third ejection this season. The league citied his suspension was based on his repeated history of violence during games. Green apologized after loss. He explained that he usually doesn’t apologize for his actions, but this time was an exception since he was trying to sell a foul and not intentionally hit Nurkic’.
Photo by GSW/Twitter
