Last night marked the first encounter between Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green since Green’s suspension. The encounter proved to be quite intriguing, to say the least.
To refresh your memory, Green was indefinitely suspended in December for striking Nurkic in the face. Despite blatantly hitting his opponent, Green attempted to pass off the incident as accidental once the game concluded.
Such a response can only be described as immature given the circumstances.
However, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Green has made a significant impact for the Golden State Warriors in the ten games he has played since his return on January 15. Remarkably, he has managed to avoid any technical or flagrant fouls during this stretch, showcasing a surprising display of good behavior.
Could this be a sign that Green has shed his previously loathsome persona and finally demonstrated some maturity?
Perhaps, albeit temporarily. It did not take long for the facade to crumble.
During last night’s 113-112 victory for the Warriors, Green and Nurkic engaged in a heated exchange, exchanging taunts of being “too small” after scoring against each other. The Warriors forward continued to jaw at Nurkic throughout the game.
After carefully considering all the details, I attempted to find some justification for Green’s actions. On one hand, it is understandable why he would engage in trash talk with Nurkic. Their previous encounter resulted in Green’s suspension, so it is reasonable to assume he would be motivated to outperform this particular adversary.
However, it is crucial to remember that Nurkic did not provoke Green’s violent behavior in December. Green acted on his own accord. Despite this, Green chose to confront the Suns’ center once again and stir up more drama with someone who was not at fault the first time around. There is simply no logical way to defend Green’s conduct.
Consequently, Nurkic criticized Green for his behavior after the game, asserting that he should not have been given a second chance to continue playing in the league. This statement marks a stark reversal from Nurkic’s comments in December following the initial incident.
Of course, Green seized the opportunity to portray Nurkic as the bigger problem. In his typical insufferable manner, Green refused to accept any responsibility for his actions and instead disrespected his opponent.
While Green may have faced severe consequences for punching Nurkic and may have briefly appeared to have changed his ways, last night’s press conference made one thing abundantly clear.
Draymond is still the same old Draymond, and that is far from a positive attribute. Convincing anyone otherwise will require a substantial amount of effort.
According to the Source outkick.com