Stephen Curry is injured right now. And Steve Kerr and the Warriors seemed a little lost in Game 2 against the Timberwolves because of that. It all led to the 4x NBA title-winning coach fielding 14 players tonight, trying to figure out who can step up in Steph’s absence. But according to new signee Jimmy Butler, with or without Steph, there’s someone the Dubs can always count on to be there and be himself — Draymond Green. But that might not always be a good thing, even if Kerr agrees.
After the game tonight, Jimmy Butler was asked about how much Steph’s absence affected the team. The reporter asked him about Draymond specifically, since no one’s played with Steph longer than him. But Jimmy Butler wasn’t worried about Dray.
“We all miss Steph, not just Dre. And Dre is gonna continue to do what he does…if anything, he’s gonna step it up a notch. He’s being incredibly vocal, more vocal than normal, than he has to be because we don’t have our number one guy out there. But he knows how important he is,” said Jimmy about his teammate. But here’s why not changing and doubling on his behavior could be an issue.
Feb 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and forward Jimmy Butler (10) defend against Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Draymond picked up his 5th technical foul of the postseason tonight. And unlike the regular season, 7 techs are enough to earn you a suspension. That means he can get two more techs before he’s suspended for one game and fined. And missing a game in the postseason, especially with Steph gone? Now that sounds like the story of how the Dubs’ postseason ended early.
However, one person who isn’t really too concerned with Dray picking up yet another technical tonight is his coach, Steve Kerr. The long-time Dubs coach revealed why his veteran forward getting a tech tonight came down to a habit he has.
Steve Kerr explains why Draymond Green received a technical tonight
Now you may be asking yourself, “How can Steve Kerr chalk up Draymond hitting Naz Reid on the head to a habit?” Well, the Dubs coach believes Dray wasn’t trying to hit Reid in the first place. Instead, Kerr believes he was trying to get the Dubs a foul call. Here’s what he said about the whole situation.
“It’s just a habit he has, you know, when somebody fouls him. You know, and he’s smart, so I think it was Reid reached, and on the reach, Draymond kind of swiped through and drew the foul. But he does have a habit of sort of flailing, I think. Flailing his arm to try to make sure the ref sees it, and, you know, he made contact. And that’s what led to the tech,” explained Kerr.
Considering Draymond’s mastery over the dark arts on the court, what Steve is saying here is entirely plausible. Perhaps the Dubs forward was indeed simply trying to draw a foul and got a technical after his actions were misconstrued.
Nov 28, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) talks with head coach Steve Kerr during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
That would certainly explain the crash-out he had after he got the tech. Green went ballistic after he received a technical. He yelled at the referees, yelled at his teammates. It got so bad that Steph Curry, clad in street clothes, had to step in to calm Green down. But that didn’t work either.
Ultimately, Steve Kerr had to remove Green from the game so that he didn’t talk his way into another tech and an ejection. It was the right move on Keer’s part, and it saved both Draymond and the Dubs from a lot of grief. But how long till Draymond gets another tech? The next one may not be out of habit. And who knows how Kerr will feel then. But as things stand, he doesn’t seem worried about Draymond Green!
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