Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers is not a fan of the NBA’s decision to suspend Draymond Green, and he has one big reason for his stance.
Rivers said he was concerned about the precedent the NBA was setting by suspending Green for Game 3 of the Golden State Warriors’ series against the Sacramento Kings. The 76ers coach thinks the move could lead to teams targeting certain players and trying to goad them into retaliating going forward.
Rovers says he’s concerned about teams targeting players and trying to get them to retaliate in these situations moving forward. https://t.co/wKcGEUZZRe
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 21, 2023
Rivers is likely concerned about his two star players. Joel Embiid managed to avoid an ejection for one retaliatory move he made in Game 3, while James Harden actually was ejected, albeit under much more controversial circumstances. Rivers is probably worried that the Nets might try to get a rise out of Embiid and goad him into doing something stupid, just as some would argue Domantas Sabonis successfully did with Green.
The simple response to this is a reminder that players need to keep their composure in situations like this. That’s easier said than done, particularly in the moment of a heated playoff series, but Rivers’ concerns seem to be overblown. After all, the idea of getting into an opponent’s head is not exactly a new concept.
