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There's no denying the gravity of Draymond Green's punch to Jordan Poole, and Steve Kerr didn't minimize it on Tuesday night when announcing the terms of his return to the Golden State Warriors. Still, considering Green's history of sparking internal turmoil and the fact his punishment doesn't include a meaningful suspension, it's certainly worth wondering how the Warriors can be confident similar incidents won't take place going forward.
Kerr directly addressed that dynamic, referencing Green's 2018 verbal dust-up with Kevin Durant—which resulted in a one-game suspension, remember—and the “edge” he lives on within Golden State's team context. Above all else, the Warriors' decision to bring Green back comes down to “trust” he won't cross that threshold again.
“Any criticism that we face here is fair,” Kerr said. “Draymond, you guys all know from covering him for a long time, he sort of lives on the edge as far as his spot on our basketball team. He's always right in the thick of everything, and a couple times in his career he's crossed the line. He crossed the line with Kevin whatever year that was, and he crossed the line the other night in a much worse fashion. I would hope that everybody would respect the fact that we feel like we know Draymond and this entire group very well, and that while this is not an easy decision, we feel like this is the best decision we can make going forward. I trust Draymond that he will stay on that edge and not go over it.”
Kerr on how Warriors can be confident similar incidents won't transpire given Draymond Green's history.
"He crossed the line with Kevin [Durant in 2018] and he crossed the line the other night in a much worse fashion…I trust that he will stay on that edge and not go over it." pic.twitter.com/76VDOhWfob
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) October 12, 2022
Green will be back at Warriors practice on Thursday before playing in their final preseason tune-up on Friday against the Denver Nuggets. Kerr also said on Tuesday that the exhibition finale will serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts, with Golden State playing a facsimile of its rotation for the regular season.
Green was barred from practice and preseason games the day after he socked Poole. His unofficial suspension from the Warriors—when he still got individual work done at Chase Center in the afternoons after his teammates had left the facilitiy—lasted exactly one week. Golden State also fined him an undisclosed amount of money, according to Kerr.
No one knows the Warriors as well as organizational power brokers like Kerr, Bob Myers and Stephen Curry. Green's return was decided after tens of conversations between management, coaches and team leaders, some of which both Green and Poole took part in together. Golden State wouldn't welcome him back unless Poole and the team at large agreed doing so was in the greater good's best short and long-term interests.
Criticism of the Warriors' approach to Green's reinstatement will be prevalent regardless. Time is all that will tell whether or not they rushed it.
