Draymond Green has developed a reputation for being a very aggressive player, both to his teammates and his opponents. Many people appreciate the intensity Green brings to the game and the contributions he makes to the Warriors as their primary defensive stopper and the vocal on-court leader of the team.
Yelling at teammates to motivate them is understandable and something that happens regularly in sports. What doesn’t happen is teammates turning on each other and fighting during practice. That is exactly what happened in a Golden State Warriors practice, according to Shams Charania, as Draymond struck Jordan Poole in the chest and faces a possible internal suspension for attacking Poole.
Sources: There was a physical altercation at Warriors’ practice today that has the team considering disciplinary action toward Draymond Green.
Story at @TheAthletic with @anthonyVslater, @ThompsonScribe: https://t.co/OYQ9WJFJtd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 6, 2022
When a heated interaction with guard Jordan Poole escalated, Green forcefully struck Poole and needed to be separated swiftly, sources said. Green and Poole came chest-to-chest, with both players pushing and shoving each other prior to Green’s escalation of the physical altercation, those sources said.
The Warriors stopped practice and tried to settle nerves in the team’s locker room area, but it appears that internal discipline is imminent.
Poole and Green are known to regularly get into verbal arguments, but the team’s management and leadership believes a line was crossed. (h/t The Athletic)
Draymond and Poole are both up for contract extensions for the Warriors this season, with many believing the team will have to make a choice and decide which player to keep. Poole’s market value was set by the recent contract extension for Tyler Herro and Draymond has been advocating for a max contract extension for himself after his role in the Warriors’ 4th championship win.
What Does This Fight Mean For The Warriors’ Title Retention Chances?
Klay Thompson recently came out and said that you can’t be on the Warriors if you can’t take a tongue lashing from Draymond. As The Athletic report states, verbal arguments between Green and Poole are not new, but matters have never gotten physical between the pair.
Jordan Poole wasn't hurt by Draymond Green’s punch and completed his workout before leaving the practice floor on Wednesday, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/CoZnSvJHLc
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 6, 2022
This could be a good thing, as it can serve to unite the roster ahead of a very challenging season. If matters are headed towards a suspension for Draymond, then it has to be something that has deeply upset the people in the organization. This is not the behavior of a leader, something Draymond is supposed to be for this Warriors’ squad.
Whether it is future contracts or just an argument gone wrong, we’ll know more as this story continues to develop.
