Details of Draymond Green’s suspension remain unclear as Warriors adjust

[CurryFan]

SAN FRANCISCO — The Draymond Green-shaped cloud of uncertainty hanging over the Warriors isn’t showing any signs of evaporating. How long Green will be suspended, what benchmarks he needs to meet to return, and exactly what type of help he’s seeking are all unclear. After his latest incident — striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head Tuesday night — Green missed his second straight game Saturday night under his current indefinite suspension. He has played in just 15 of Golden State’s 25 games this year, three of which he was ejected from. He has to meet certain league and team conditions before returning, and it has been reported that he’s expected to receive counseling. The punishment is vague. Asked what kind of work Green is facing while he serves his suspension, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr continued the theme of mystery. “I can’t really share that,” Kerr said Saturday before the Warriors-Nets game in the Chase Center. “That’s really private. What I can tell you is Draymond has our full support, that Draymond is, himself, very much committed to creating the change that he wants to see, and that we all want to see. So beyond that, I can’t really say.” Green’s indefinite suspension came down one month after he earned a five-game ban for putting Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a choke hold. The NBA has considered Green’s pattern of behavior a factor when deciding on punishments, taking into account incidents like when Green stepped on Domantas Sabonis in last year’s playoffs and when he punched then-teammate Jordan Poole. Warriors star Stephen Curry had a similar message as Kerr when he met with reporters after their Thursday loss to the Clippers. “The conversations we had yesterday were about (Green) personally and making sure the focus is getting right, getting on a path that’s going to allow him to be who he needs to be as a person, as a man, father, husband and a basketball player — in that order,” Curry said. “That journey is going to be challenging, but we’re all here to support him. And try to hold it down while he’s gone. It’s a tough situation all the way around, but we are capable of getting through it, himself included.” Kerr did reveal that Green will be around the team while he serves his suspension, but he hadn’t seen Green Saturday. “He’ll be here,” Kerr said. “I don’t know exactly when, but he’s going to be around. He’s going to be working out and staying in shape.” Golden State Warriors | Kurtenbach Mailbag: Answering your questions on the SF Giants’ free agency issues, Draymond Green’s anger [*] Golden State Warriors | Warriors: Jackson-Davis ready to pounce on opportunity with Green out indefinitely [*] Golden State Warriors | Warriors’ Draymond Green begins counseling amid suspension: report [*] Golden State Warriors | Why the Warriors needed Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson to get uncomfortable [*] Golden State Warriors | Warriors’ Thompson, Wiggins soar in narrow win over Blazers; Curry’s 3-pointer streak snapped [/list] There’s no real way for the team to know when Green will be back. The NBA has levied indefinite suspensions before, but one for repeated on-court acts of violence is unprecedented. Without Green — for as long as that may be — the Warriors will rely more on Kevon Looney, Dario Saric and rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Entering Saturday’s game, the Warriors were 2-8 in games Green was either suspended for, ejected from or missed due to personal reasons. Even in his 12th season, the four-time All-Star remains integral to Golden State’s postseason hopes. Green is averaging 9.7 points, 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting a career-best 42.9% from 3.

Source: https://www.thereporter.com/2023/12/16/ ... rs-adjust/