Green put Rudy Gobert in a choke hold during the first quarter of the season’s 12th game. He drew a five-game suspension and another stern warning from the league that his past would impact his future if incidents continued.
In the season’s 23rd game, just Green’s sixth after returning, he spasmed into a spinning forearm club of Jusuf Nurkić’s face, connecting with force and sending the big Phoenix center tumbling to the ground. After a quick review and Flagrant 2 ruling, he sprinted to the locker room and into an uncertain NBA future.
The next day, the league nailed him with an indefinite suspension. Green holed up in his Los Angeles area home. Two months into a four-year contract that felt risky on the team side, Green had already broken the pledge to Lacob. During Green’s first days away from the team, Lacob called him. Green saw the name on his phone and froze.
“I couldn’t answer it,” Green said. “I couldn’t talk to him. I did not talk to him. I didn’t call back. I almost hid. He gave me his word and he stuck by it. I gave him my word and I’ve let him down. It was probably a little cowardly. Like, I couldn’t face the music.”
Green’s absence lasted longer than a month. The Warriors were 18-21 when he returned, unable to find any traction because they were unable to find any lineup combination that worked. In Green’s first news conference, he admitted the urgency he felt to return to form as quickly as possible.
“I’ve cost this team enough,” he said.
Several other factors have led this Warriors season nearly off a cliff. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins had extended slumps. Kevon Looney’s impact has eroded. Kerr has been hesitant to trust the emerging youth at vital moments. The Warriors have collectively given away seven should-be wins in the final minute.
But the eulogies will first mention Green’s actions and suspensions, the same as they did the season before, tying everything back to the Poole punch. It’s the burden he now faces.
“Who we are, what we stand for is enough of a burden,” Green said. “We’re never expected to lose. There’s a standard that’s been set. So for me, that’s enough burden. So I don’t go around thinking every day like, ‘F—, we got to make these games up that I missed.’ But what I do know is if it doesn’t get turned around, then that’s kind of what’s going to be said.”
That you’ll be blamed for the failure of the season and the closing days of a dynasty.
“Yeah,” he said. “No one ever wants that. You gotta do what you gotta do to turn it around. I know that’s what it’s going to be. So to negate that, there’s only one way to negate that — play well and win.”
That has always been Green’s path back. Play well, win and everyone will have to zip back up. He can’t be blamed for a failed season if a season doesn’t fail if a dynasty breathes again.
In his six games back, Green has been the transformative force he knows he must be. It took him two games before Kerr upped his minutes limit past the 30 mark out of necessity. In Green’s fourth game back, Kerr played him 46 minutes. The Warriors outscored the Los Angeles Lakers by 31 points with him on the floor and were outscored by 32 in his 12 minutes on the bench, losing by one in double overtime.
“Didn’t know how long it’d take him to get back in shape,” Curry said. “Didn’t take long at all.”
Kerr placed him in the starting lineup for the next game against the Lakers, bringing together what the franchise now believes will be their best five-man starting and closing unit: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Green. His presence as a playmaking center who covers up countless defensive errors has allowed Kerr to use the Wiggins, Kuminga wing combination that was previously unplayable (minus-106) without Green.
“We’re turning the corner,” Green said.
In the season’s 23rd game, just Green’s sixth after returning, he spasmed into a spinning forearm club of Jusuf Nurkić’s face, connecting with force and sending the big Phoenix center tumbling to the ground. After a quick review and Flagrant 2 ruling, he sprinted to the locker room and into an uncertain NBA future.
The next day, the league nailed him with an indefinite suspension. Green holed up in his Los Angeles area home. Two months into a four-year contract that felt risky on the team side, Green had already broken the pledge to Lacob. During Green’s first days away from the team, Lacob called him. Green saw the name on his phone and froze.
“I couldn’t answer it,” Green said. “I couldn’t talk to him. I did not talk to him. I didn’t call back. I almost hid. He gave me his word and he stuck by it. I gave him my word and I’ve let him down. It was probably a little cowardly. Like, I couldn’t face the music.”
Green’s absence lasted longer than a month. The Warriors were 18-21 when he returned, unable to find any traction because they were unable to find any lineup combination that worked. In Green’s first news conference, he admitted the urgency he felt to return to form as quickly as possible.
“I’ve cost this team enough,” he said.
Several other factors have led this Warriors season nearly off a cliff. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins had extended slumps. Kevon Looney’s impact has eroded. Kerr has been hesitant to trust the emerging youth at vital moments. The Warriors have collectively given away seven should-be wins in the final minute.
But the eulogies will first mention Green’s actions and suspensions, the same as they did the season before, tying everything back to the Poole punch. It’s the burden he now faces.
“Who we are, what we stand for is enough of a burden,” Green said. “We’re never expected to lose. There’s a standard that’s been set. So for me, that’s enough burden. So I don’t go around thinking every day like, ‘F—, we got to make these games up that I missed.’ But what I do know is if it doesn’t get turned around, then that’s kind of what’s going to be said.”
That you’ll be blamed for the failure of the season and the closing days of a dynasty.
“Yeah,” he said. “No one ever wants that. You gotta do what you gotta do to turn it around. I know that’s what it’s going to be. So to negate that, there’s only one way to negate that — play well and win.”
That has always been Green’s path back. Play well, win and everyone will have to zip back up. He can’t be blamed for a failed season if a season doesn’t fail if a dynasty breathes again.
In his six games back, Green has been the transformative force he knows he must be. It took him two games before Kerr upped his minutes limit past the 30 mark out of necessity. In Green’s fourth game back, Kerr played him 46 minutes. The Warriors outscored the Los Angeles Lakers by 31 points with him on the floor and were outscored by 32 in his 12 minutes on the bench, losing by one in double overtime.
“Didn’t know how long it’d take him to get back in shape,” Curry said. “Didn’t take long at all.”
Kerr placed him in the starting lineup for the next game against the Lakers, bringing together what the franchise now believes will be their best five-man starting and closing unit: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Green. His presence as a playmaking center who covers up countless defensive errors has allowed Kerr to use the Wiggins, Kuminga wing combination that was previously unplayable (minus-106) without Green.
“We’re turning the corner,” Green said.
