Warriors general manager Bob Myers didn’t sugarcoat what it’s like having Draymond Green on the roster.
Following the NBA’s decision to suspend Green for Golden State’s pivotal Game 3 against the Kings on Thursday — stemming from the on-court incident where he stepped on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 — Myers spoke to reporters Wednesday about the veteran forward’s behavior, and called Green “a complicated guy.”
“Each time he’s messed up, my hope is he learns from it and becomes better … Without him, we probably don’t have any of the championships,” Myers said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “But he’s a complicated guy, for sure.”
Myers said he spoke with Green on Tuesday and told him that the focus needs to remain on the team as the reigning champion Warriors are down 0-2 in their first-round series against Sacramento.
“I told him that when he shows up today, it’s got to be about the team and helping them win,” Myers said.
“It’s not about whether you should or shouldn’t have been suspended. That doesn’t help anyone.”
Myers added that Green, who’s known for his outspoken reactions, “was more quiet with me” during their exchange.
“All I said to Draymond was, ‘whatever you have to say, don’t say it tonight.’ That’s all I told him,” Myers said of Green, who often offers timely reactions to controversies on his podcast on The Volume.
“Sometimes he listens to me, sometimes he doesn’t. But I’m always one that would tell somebody to sleep on a reaction.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr added that Green has “crossed the line over the years,” and described what it’s like interacting with the All-Star big man in tense game situations.
“It doesn’t seem to make much impact. … There’s no stopping Draymond,” Kerr said.
“You’re not going to be able to put your arm around him and calm him down.”
Kerr added that the team stands behind Green.
The NBA announced Green’s suspension on Tuesday, a day after the four-time NBA champion was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 114-106 loss to the Kings in Game 2 at Golden 1 Center.
With 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, Green stepped on Sabonis’ chest after the Kings center grabbed and held onto Green’s right ankle after falling to the floor.
Green received a Flagrant 2 foul, while Sabonis was assessed a technical foul.
The Kings announced Wednesday that X-ray imaging revealed that Sabonis sustained a sternum contusion in the incident — and will be listed as questionable for Thursday’s Game 3.
Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations for the NBA, said the suspension was based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.
During his press conference, Myers also mentioned that the Warriors have been in a similar position — referring to Green’s Game 5 suspension during the 2016 Finals against the Cavaliers, when he got tangled up with LeBron James and made contact with his groin.
“Also the distinction between that and this is, that was actually an accumulation of actions, that wasn’t one act that led to that suspension,” Myers said.
“So there was a distinction there as far as a certain amount of [technical] points.”
In March, Green served a one-game suspension by the NBA after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season, which he received for tossing the ball at Russell Westbrook’s head during Golden State’s 134-126 road loss to the Clippers.
Game 3 will take place on Thursday at Chase Center at 10 pm ET.
