On Nov. 14, Draymond Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock less than two minutes into the Golden State Warriors' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. What started as mild shoving between Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels escalated into a borderline brawl, with Green enthusiastically going after the Wolves' 7-foot-1 center.
Gobert simply held his hands up and submitted, with coaches, teammates, and refs eventually prying Green away before he was ejected (and summarily suspended for five games).
While many thought Green got off light for such an aggressive action, the Warriors' forward is — surprise, surprise — sticking up for his actions. He's tired of being punished for incidents he was already punished for.
"To continue saying, 'oh, what he did in the past...' I paid for those. I got suspended for Game 5 of the Finals. So you can't keep suspending me for those actions."
Of course, Green can hardly blame such double standards for a five-game suspension after choking an opponent. Also, the idea of a repeat offender is that repeating the offense compounds the issue every time. So, really, the NBA can punish Green for the same incident twice. He's supposed to learn and grow.
Thankfully for Golden State fans (and for opposing players everywhere), Green is at least acknowledging a need for change... sort of.
"I don't live my life with regrets. I'll come to a teammate's defense any time that I'm in a position to come to a teammate's defense. ... What matters to me is how the people that I care about feel, first and foremost. How are the people that I care about affected? How are the people I care about, what do they have to deal with? That's it for me."
Green essentially admits that he needs to keep his cool to better serve his teammates, but he does not apologize to Gobert nor express regret about his actions. Since Green was hit with a five-game suspension, the Warriors are 2-3 with two losses to the second-place Oklahoma City Thunder and a loss to the Phoenix Suns. Stephen Curry notably missed the Warriors' first loss to OKC.
Draymond Green accepts responsibility but does not apologize for Rudy Gobert headlock
The Warriors will welcome Green back into the fold for Tuesday's In-Season Tournament game against the Sacramento Kings. It has been difficult sledding for Golden State, even before Green's suspension. The team is 8-9, which places them 10th in a crowded Western Conference.
While Curry has been in classic MVP form, the team around him has struggled. Golden State lacks a serious secondary scoring punch at the moment. Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson are shells of their usual selves, and Chris Paul can't exactly carry a significant self-creation burden at 38 years old. Green's absence on defense has only made life harder for the Warriors.
Green's return will solve some issues and exacerbate others. He doesn't space the floor or generate advantages on offense. He's a connector and initiator, but the Warriors seriously lack consistent creators and finishers. There's reason to believe the Warriors can build back momentum over time, but the concerns are legitimate.
We will see if Green can live up to his words and stay on the floor more regularly in the future. Just don't let him see Rudy Gobert in the general vicinity of conflict ever again.
