At least the Golden State Warriors' up-and-down start to the regular season has taken attention away from the lingering fallout of Draymond Green's punch to Jordan Poole.
As Andrew Wiggins sees it, though, his teammates already appear to be mending their fractured relationship. And even if they haven't, it's clear to him that Green and Poole won't let tension between them get in the way of Golden State's ultimate goal.
In a Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com, Wiggins discussed how he's supported Poole, one of his closest friends on the team, in wake of his preseason fracas with Green, noting it's possible that remaining animus has already faded.
“Be there for him, make sure he’s good and let them handle it. They’re grown men,” Wiggins said. “Only they will know when they’re ready to squash everything. They might have already. I see them talking and stuff like that. We’re all here, and our main goal is to win a championship. All I can do is be there to support those guys.”
Those comments echo Green's post-punch sentiment of affording Poole as much time and space as he needs or wants to begin repairing their damaged bond. Green also made sure to allow for the possibility of that never happening, while Poole has stayed intentionally mum on the state of their relationship ever since the incident.
One thing Draymond Green and Jordan Poole have publicly agreed upon? That whatever dynamic exists between them won't affect their play on the floor.
Green and Poole have lived up to that promise despite the Warriors' labors. They regularly partner for ball screens and post-to-pass elbow splits offensively, and haven't avoided potentially fraught on-court discussion of defensive miscues.
There's just been no indication Green and Poole are no longer able to successfully coexist on the floor—apart from the Warriors' defensive issues beyond the starting five, of course. But those struggles are widespread, certainly not the fault of Green or even Poole. And just like any remaining strife between them, Golden State's defensive problems are also bound to subside over time.