During Game 1 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors was ejected. The flagrant foul occurred with a minute and 18 seconds left to go in the second quarter. Replays showed Green grabbing onto the jersey of the Memphis Grizzlies‘ own Brandon Clarke to prevent an easy put-back attempt. The officials reviewed it and deemed it a flagrant two foul which is also known as excessive. This results in immediate ejection. Before the official confirmation was even announced, Green was running around the floor and high-fiving teammates on the Golden State bench before eventually proceeding into the locker room.
Draymond Green: A History of Ejections and Technical Fouls
This is not the first time Draymond Green has found himself in hot water. Draymond Green ejected is a headline we have seen many times. Many remember the 2016 playoffs when he infamously kicked Steven Adams (who is also an opponent in Golden State’s current playoff series) in the lower region “accidentally.” The result from that incident? He was not suspended, but he was fined after the league reviewed the incident. The NBA upgraded the flagrant one foul to a flagrant two.
That was not the end of the Draymond saga of those playoffs though. Later that year in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Draymond Green did net himself a one-game suspension. This occurred after he made an attempt to retaliate to the groin of LeBron James on a possession where they were both fighting for a loose ball.
This was just one playoff series too. This does not even take into account the countless amount of incidents and technical fouls Draymond has received and been a part of in other games throughout his career. This season, he finished third in technical fouls received only trailing Denver’s DeMarcus Cousins and Memphis’ Dillion Brooks. Dating back to the 2018 season, Draymond Green has been a consistent fixture in the top-five of this category. The only exception was last year when he was hurt for a good portion of the year. However, Golden State seems to thrive off this type of extra-curricular activity from Draymond Green and this season has been no exception.
Draymond Green: A Great All-Around Season
Once again, Draymond Green was in the thick of the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Not surprising considering he does the bulk of Golden State’s dirty work. He is often willing to take on the opposition’s best player in the post. For the regular season, Green averaged 6.3 defensive rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He also tallied a defensive box plus/minus of 4.6 and did a great job of being the quarterback of the Warriors at times this season. Many have deemed him not necessarily the best player on the Warriors, but the important player and he was a big part of their 53-29 win-loss record this year.
Possible Consequences Going Forward
I do not expect a suspension from this recent incident in Game one at Memphis. There could possibly be a fine considering Draymond Green is a repeat offender. However, the NBA is not going to resort to a suspension unless it happens again. Golden State could use this as extra motivation to come out stronger next game, but Draymond Green is going to be on thin ice with the league.
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