Should Draymond Green be suspended?

Draymond Green was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for kicking Steven Adams in the groin. Should he be suspended?

It was the kick heard ’round the world.

In the second quarter, Draymond Green drove on Steven Adams, looking to draw a foul. He came to a jump stop and jumped into the OKC Thunder big man. Right after drawing the contact, Green kicked his right leg up and hit Adams right in the groin.

The play was reviewed and Green both shot free throws for the foul Adams committed and was assessed a Flagrant 1 for the kick. Now the basketball world awaits to see if the league will take action and, if so, what it will be. The NBA will surely consider a one game suspension for Green.

First, it’s important to note that there is some precedent here, even in this year’s playoffs. On Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Dahntay Jones punched the Toronto Raptors’ Bismack Biyombo in the final seconds of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The NBA took a look at it after and handed out a one game suspension.

If the NBA wants to be consistent, then Green probably should get suspended. Any sort of blow below the waist–unless glaringly obvious–is reckless and dangerous enough to warrant some strong punishment. Missing a game in the playoffs as your team fights for it’s postseason life is a huge punishment.

Does Green actually deserve a suspension?

It’s hard to decipher intent. Despite being an intense and physical competitor, Green isn’t dirty. Fans across the league might consider him to be, but he doesn’t dive at people’s knees or do anything else that would intentionally put another player at risk. He plays hard basketball. He doesn’t want anyone getting hurt because he can’t beat them if they’re not on the court. He claims that he didn’t want to hurt him and (perhaps it’s the homer in me) I believe him.

At worst, the heat of the moment got the worst of him and he decided to physically express his frustration. Perhaps with himself or the officiating or even the game as a whole.

I don’t think that’s the case though. For the most part, Golden State felt like they weren’t getting a fair whistle. It flew for the Thunder and it was swallowed for the Warriors. They were clearly frustrated. When Green drove and took the contact, he wanted to make sure he got the call. He exaggerated his entire motion including kicking his leg out. It just so happened to catch Adams in a sensitive area.

This isn’t the same as Jones’ play. That incident saw an individual consciously punch another player in the groin, an action that definitely requires some premeditation and intent. In Green’s case, that same intent isn’t clear. In slow-motion, the kick looks awful, but in real-time, the contact looks incidental.

Head Coach Steve Kerr believes that, not only should his All-Star forward not be suspended, he thinks the Flagrant foul should be rescinded. Green echoed the sentiment adding that he didn’t wish to harm Adams.

Adams and Green are high-energy players for their team. They carry the intensity so this matchup has been a very physical and heated one. Green should not be suspended, but it would make sense why if he did. As basketball fans, let’s hope he isn’t. We want the best players on the floor at all times in the playoffs.