Draymond Green found himself facing off against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday for the first time since his suspension. As you would expect, Green became a target for the Suns roster, specifically Jusuf Nurkic, who had some words about the Golden State Warriors veteran after the game.
As such, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wants Green to be careful. Smith shared Green will be a target for other players throughout the season because they will look to use his reputation against him so he finds himself dealing with the game officials and potentially being thrown out of games.
“When you hear Nurkic say what he said during his post-game press conference,” Smith said. “He hasn’t learned anything. He’s gonna do it again. I take back everything I said about second chances. I want Draymond to be careful. Only because other players are going to assist in creating or elevating that narrative that has plagued him. You can compete. You can get after it. But at the same time, be very careful. Because, the second any kind of slip-up happens again, the hammer will come down.”
Since returning from suspension, Green has reestablished himself as a core part of the Warriors rotation. His presence within the roster has coincided with the team’s resurgence up the Western Conference. He’s also thriving as Golden State’s new center.
"I want Draymond Green to be careful."@stephenasmith has a friendly message for Draymond Green as players try to provoke him. pic.twitter.com/AWfiWuNo7z
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 11, 2024
Nevertheless, Smith is right. Green needs to be careful, especially as he gets comfortable being back in the Warriors’ rotation. The league will likely take a zero-tolerance stance with the veteran moving forward.
