Golden State Warriors' forward and four-time All-Star Draymond Green has officially begun counseling after his latest physical outburst warranted an indefinite suspension from the league.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the 33-year-old will remain sidelined for at least the next three weeks. That means Green will be absent for a minimum of the next 10 Warrior games, having already missed the previous three.
The Golden State Warriors will be without Draymond Green for the foreseeable future as the defensive stalwart receives counseling following his latest series of on-court transgressions.
Green was tossed from last Tuesday's tilt against the Phoenix Suns at about the eight-minute mark in the third quarter after he was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for striking Suns' big man Jusuf Nurkic in the face. The ejection marked Green's third of the season, and the 20th of his 12-year career.
Green would apologize to Nurkić after the game, telling reporters that his actions were unintentional and that he was trying to embellish a foul call by flailing his arms.
"“As you know, I’m not one to apologize for things I meant to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf. Because I didn’t intend to hit him," Green said."I sell calls with my arms.”"
Draymond says he apologized to Nurkić and affirms he "didn't intend to hit him" pic.twitter.com/aou4cSirB5
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 13, 2023
According to NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, Green's "repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts" weighed heavily into the league's decision to suspend him without a timetable for return.
In an appearance on ESPN's First Take, Dumars maintained that the league did not want to put a concrete number on the length of Green's suspension to allow him to find the help he needs.
"“So people don’t get caught up on the number. ‘Oh, is it too low, is it too high?"... “Indefinite means, ‘Get yourself right. We want to see you at your best,’ and the best way for you to do that is to get yourself mentally and emotionally back to where you need to be. So that’s how we got to indefinite.”"
Though the specifics of Green's counseling would not be revealed out of respect for his privacy, The Athletic reported that he “has been understanding and prepared to undergo the process required to return to the team in a full capacity.”
The suspension comes at an inopportune time for the 11th-seeded Warriors, who are currently stuck in the doldrums of the Western Conference. Golden State will play 10 games over the next three weeks, including six against teams currently with winning records.
Golden State will need to dig deep over this stretch, as their current position in the standings allows them little room for error. Steve Kerr may have to make some uncomfortable rotational decisions, and players might be asked to sacrifice a little more than they're used to.
When it comes down to brass tax, the Warriors simply cannot afford another string of losses, as one skid could seriously jeopardize their playoff hopes. This stretch represents somewhat of a defining moment for the Golden State Warriors, and their response could shape the rest of their season.
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