Draymond Green has always been at his best when playing with physicality and a high intensity, but those same elements have cost the Golden State Warriors when the veteran forward has crossed the line into non-basketball acts.
Having missed playoff games previously due to suspensions -- most famously in the 2016 NBA Finals -- Green is again perilously close to hurting the Warriors at a time they can least afford.
Draymond Green is two technicals away from suspension
For not the first time these playoffs, Green was fouled but then flailed out and hit an opposing player during the second-quarter of Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Thursday.
Timberwolves big man Naz Reid fell to the floor, causing the referees to review the play and ultimately charge Green with a technical foul -- his fifth of the playoffs in nine games. His subsequent outburst towards the officials voicing his displeasure at the decision meant he was probably fortunate not to receive a second and be ejected from the game, with Steve Kerr and the Warriors smartly subbing him out to avoid that situation.
Green is now two technicals away from the seven technical limit that automatically triggers a one-game suspension. He's also only a couple of flagrant points from the same outcome, something Golden State truly can't afford as they try to battle past Minnesota and advance to the Conference Finals.
The Warriors are already up against the odds as is thanks to Stephen Curry's hamstring injury, with the 2x MVP likely out until at least Game 6 at the earliest assuming the series goes that far. Having Curry on the sidelines makes the job incredibly tough, but to have Green suspended for a game in addition would be fatal to Golden State's chances.
The 35-year-old will have to find a balance over the next few games because as much as the Warriors can't afford to have him suspended, they equally can't afford to have him play within himself and without the vigour that's made him so good for over a decade.
That will particularly be the case on the defensive end where Green, as the leader, will need to help Golden State to a new level. Without Curry it's almost impossible for them to reach an elite standard offensively, meaning more pressure will be on the defensive side to limit Anthony Edwards and company.
As the Warriors search for one more deep run to the NBA Finals, Green's ability to stay on the floor could prove the difference between an unlikely series win over the Timberwolves, and completely eviscerating any chance they have left.