Draymond Green suspended indefinitely for hitting Jusuf Nurkic
On Wednesday, December 13th, the NBA decided to hit Draymond Green with an indefinite suspension because of the unnecessary contact the four-time All-Defensive First Team forward made to the head of Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic. Green had already been suspended for attempting to choke Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert earlier in the season. And the NBA has made it clear in the past that Green’s history makes it hard to give the forward the benefit of the doubt when he does something controversial.
Before the season, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Golden State Warriors at -500 to make the playoffs. That’s an implied probability of 83.33%. However, Golden State is just 10-13 to start the season. That puts the Warriors in 11th place in the Western Conference, and things aren’t going to get any easier moving forward.
Green’s value to the Warriors is hard to measure, but this team is in serious danger of missing the postseason if this suspension lasts more than 15 or so games. Green is one of the best passers in basketball, as his 34.0% assist rate puts him in the 97th percentile in the NBA, according to Dunks & Threes. Green is also one of the most versatile defensive players in the history of the sport, capable of defending all five positions and blowing up the game’s most dangerous action: the pick and roll. Last year, Cleaning The Glass had Golden State as 9.8 points per 100 possessions better with Green on the floor defensively. That put him in the 98th percentile in the league. Considering Golden State is merely a middle-of-the-pack defensive team this year, Green’s absence could drop the Warriors into the league’s bottom 10 in defensive rating.
The Warriors are also just putting far too much on Steph Curry’s plate on the offensive end right now. So, losing Green’s secondary playmaking is going to be a nightmare for Golden State, unless guys like Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins can get themselves going. Both players have been miserable to this point.
The NBA’s statement on Green’s suspension said that he will “be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.” It’s unclear what that might entail, but Shams Charania reported that Green is expected to receive counseling over the next couple of weeks. Either way, this is a situation that is worth monitoring, as the window has been closing on the four-time NBA champions. If this suspension ends up being on the longer side, you might as well slam it shut.
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