The basketball world was taken aback by the Golden State Warriors' recent decision to fine Draymond Green for his punch on Jordan Poole instead of slapping the veteran with a suspension. For some, the punishment simply does not fit the crime.
ESPN's NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski has now weighed in on the issue with yet another major Woj bomb. According to the renowned broadcaster, the fact that the Warriors are going to be receiving their championship rings on opening night on October 18th definitely played a key role in their decision not to suspend Draymond (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):
“I'm told that the Warriors put significant weight on the fact that opening night is also ring night and the hanging of the Warriors' 2022 championship banner,” Woj said. “They simply weren't gonna measure that as a one-out-of-82-game suspension. That if this incident had landed in the middle of the regular season, there'd probably be a suspension. If the Warriors weren't defending champions and were just playing an ordinary opening night, there might very well be a suspension.
“But simply, Golden State did not want to punish Draymond Green in a way that he would miss opening night where he'd get his fourth ring with the Warriors, and see his fourth banner during his tenure with Klay Thompson, Steph Curry brought to the rafters.”
To be honest, that's a pretty compelling reason. Then again, it's hard to discredit the arguments of those who believe that Green is getting away with his actions here with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. After all, he did deliver a violent blow toward his own teammate during practice. The fact that the video of the incident went public only made matters much worse.
For his part, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has already shared his two cents worth on Green's sanction. In light of the recent healing conversations Green has had with Poole, the four-time NBA champion coach is adamant that this was the right decision to make for the team.