Warriors need Green to apologize, temper intensity
The Warriors won’t have Stephen Curry or Draymond Green for Wednesday night’s game against Oklahoma City at Oracle Arena, and until they’re back on the floor, there’s no point in trying to analyze the team’s play.
Some have tried, but it’s clear the Golden State offense can’t function at full capacity with those missing parts. They’re a bit like an Indy 500 driver who has a last-minute engine malfunction and decides, “What the heck, let’s run the old Buick out there.”
So it’s all about looking ahead, and Kevin Durant will be glad to know this commentary isn’t about him. The issue is Green, who has refused to apologize to Durant, or the team (at least in a public man-
ner), for the incident in Los Angeles last week.
Green repeatedly has said he’s not going to change his ways — fiery, dedicated, demanding — and that usually has been fine with head coach Steve Kerr and the organization. Green’s profound desire has been at the heart of the Warriors’ success. But is it the right idea now?
In keeping his distance with the media, Green did say one very important thing in the wake of his suspension: “Sometimes my emotions get the best of me.” That certainly was the case at Staples Center, to the point where teammates were clearly appalled at the language he hurled at Durant. And for those wondering why this matter keeps appearing in the media, day after day, it’s because there’s a lingering tension on this team, a sense that the Warriors’ chemistry is a bit afoul.
It’s not a minor crisis, and it must be fixed. This isn’t on Durant, still clearly hurt by the incident. It’s entirely up to Green, and he needs to make it clear to everyone — teammates, Kerr, general manager Bob Myers, ownership — that he stepped over the lines of decency and feels genuine remorse. If he had done that quickly, in the wake of the incident, there would have been no suspension and the team could have quietly moved on.
On the court, Green doesn’t need to hold back his feelings about a broken play, a screen not set or a missed opportunity. But it’s not healthy for the Warriors to be fighting with themselves. Green can be plenty forceful without humiliating a teammate. He doesn’t need to make a big show of it, and he needs to realize that words, so often harmless, also can be daggers into the foundation of team harmony.
Surely, Green realizes the TV cameras now will be focused directly on him during timeout huddles. People will be using their phones to pick up video or audio evidence. Lip-readers will be out in force. It can’t be that difficult to back off just a little. Stay angry, absolutely, but channel that emotion straight into the opposition.
The fact is, Green is a basketball savant. He sees everything, often before it happens. He plays the all-around game better than any forward in the NBA, and only a few can match up with him historically. It would be quite becoming for Green to match that genius knowledge with just a little bit of tact. It’s certainly within his powers. Since the 2016 NBA Finals suspension that probably cost Golden State a championship, Green has learned to back off his criticism of officials and avoid too many technicals.
Green was getting treatment during Tuesday’s practice and was not made available to the media. Kerr, asked if Green needs to temper his attitude toward teammates, said, “That’s all team stuff. We love Draymond to death. He’s been so good for us, we’re not hanging any banners without him. All the other stuff that happens throughout the year, some of it is made public, some of it’s not. Our job is to deal with that stuff internally, as a family. That’s what we do. There’s not gonna be any details coming out.”
Typically a voice of unique perspective, swingman Andre Iguodala said repairing the club’s malaise is “like chopping at a tree. The little things will add up to some good karma.”
If I were the Warriors, I’d love to get Green together with the great Bill Russell, who anchored the Celtics’ teams that won eight straight titles and 11 of 13 from 1957 through ’69. Those clubs had internal issues, as every club does, but they didn’t surface on the court.
Russell’s voice is an elegant representation of so many things: human relations, the blending of diverse cultures into selfless teamwork, the value of humor in a crisis, how to take the court with a winning mentality — every single time, even against some lowly alsoran in February. He’s also an expert on two things close to Green’s heart: changing the game with defense and exerting a mental command over the opposition.
Russell should talk to the entire Warriors team, come to think of it, should he ever have the chance. The Warriors are a fledgling dynasty compared with Boston’s, realizing the extreme difficulty of sustaining a dreamlike existence. Sometimes, a few well-timed words can be just the ticket. Sooner rather than later, they should come from Draymond Green.