Draymond Green has most recently been in the news cycle due to his physical interaction with Jordan Poole, which featured the veteran forward punching the younger guard in the face. That action has drawn harsh criticism from most people in the NBA world, with many deeming his punch unacceptable.
Recently, coach Steve Kerr revealed that Draymond Green won’t be suspended for punching Jordan Poole, but noted that Green has been fined for his actions. Kerr also revealed that Green would return to practice on Thursday. This comes as a slight surprise, as many people thought that Draymond Green would have to miss at least a few games as a result of his punching Jordan Poole.
He is going to come back to practice on Thursday. He’s been fined, he will not be suspended. I expect him to play Friday in our last preseason game, and on opening night.
This is definitely a big event for the Golden State Warriors. It is clear that the front office and the team believe that the healing process from the incident should involve Draymond Green, and they obviously think that re-integrating Green quickly is crucial for the franchise.
A lot of NBA fans reacted to the news, with many of them joking about the situation. It is clear that fans thought that this punishment was light, and some thought that Green’s quick return was due to his value for the Golden State Warriors franchise.
Warriors’ Draymond Green has been fined for practice altercation last week, and will return to team activities on Thursday, coach Steve Kerr says.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 12, 2022
It remains to be seen how Draymond Green’s return will end up affecting the locker room going forward. Hopefully, the forward can reintegrate well into the team, while also making amends with Jordan Poole.
The Golden State Warriors Can Win Again Next Season
There is no doubt that the Golden State Warriors are an elite team when healthy. They obviously won the championship in 2022 against the Boston Celtics, and have largely retained the same roster. There is no reason that they cannot repeat as champions in 2023, though obviously the road will be harder with teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets getting fully healthy.
Hopefully, we see the Golden State Warriors move past this interaction between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole, though obviously, that may be easier said than done. However, it is clear that the Warriors were comfortable enough with bringing Draymond Green back into the fold, and perhaps we’ll see if this decision ends up paying off for the team going into next season.
