Draymond Green returned from his suspension Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings, but the Golden State Warriors forward left his coach frustrated after just one game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was critical of Green for picking up a technical foul in the fourth quarter after multiple arguments with referees. Green was unhappy that he did not draw a foul on one play, then lost his cool again when Stephen Curry was called for a foul moments later.
Draymond was given a tech after this play
(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/jfOSDzVMxX
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 29, 2023
Green’s actions may not have been too bad, but he was quite demonstrative and does carry a reputation. Kerr made clear that he was not happy that Green lost his cool at a key point in the game.
“[It’s] disappointing because Draymond, he drives a lot of our results,” Kerr told 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Wednesday, via Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s a very powerful figure and he knows that and he and I have talked about that. But he has to harness that power. I was disappointed last night that he got that tech, reaction to the foul afterward because the momentum really swung in Sacramento’s favor after that. So he’s got to be better and he knows that.”
The Kings went on a 26-16 run after Green received the technical and was benched and came back to win after trailing by as much as 24 points.
The Warriors have long taken the position that Green’s passion and emotion is part of what makes him so good, and they still feel that way. However, Kerr in particular has been more outspoken recently about how Green needs to know when to tone it down.
Green, for his part, is clearly not happy that his reputation impacts how he is officiated and disciplined. That is just something he will have to deal with, whether he likes it or not.
