What Steve Kerr deemed the “biggest crisis” he’s faced as head coach of the Golden State Warriors is entering a new phase.
Last week, Draymond Green tested Golden State’s organizational culture when he punched Jordan Poole in the face during a practice. That it was captured on video and leaked to TMZ even further strained the team.
After less than a week away from the team, Green will rejoin the Warriors. Kerr said Green will practice Thursday, play in GSW’s final preseason game Friday, and is expected to suit up for opening night against the Lakers.
Green will be fined an undisclosed penalty and not suspended for his violent outburst.
“We take great pride in what we’ve built here, the continuity, the culture,” Kerr said after GSW’s preseason win over Portland. “And there’s no way around it: that culture has been damaged by this incident. And so you have to work to repair that. You have to find that vibe again, every day.”
The decision was made, Kerr said, after conversations with Poole, Green, general manager Bob Myers and other veterans on the team. Poole chatting with Green was a major hurdle to clear.
“It’s been an exhaustive process,” Kerr said. “We feel like we have a great feel for our team. We’ve got a lot of continuity on this team, Bob and I know our players extremely well. We feel like this is the best way — after assessing everything — for us to move forward. It’s never easy. No matter what decision you make in a situation like this, it’s not going to be perfect.”
Green’s recent, viral incident isn’t the first time he’s lost his temper in his decade with Golden State. There was the LeBron James groin smack in the 2016 Finals. Green led the NBA in technical fouls in 2019 and 2016. Even Kerr said he’s had some “run-ins” with the star forward.
Most famously, there was the sideline dust-up with Kevin Durant that soured the MVP’s final season with the Warriors. That confrontation got Green a one-game suspension from the Warriors for conduct detrimental to the team.
“A couple times in his career, he’s crossed the line,” Kerr said. “He crossed the line with Kevin and he crossed the line the other night in a much worse fashion.”
If punching Poole was worse than the 2018 incident, why did Green get suspended then but not now?
“Every situation is totally different,” Kerr said. “We don’t look at everything in a vacuum and say ‘we did that here, now we’ve got to do that here.’ We hope we’ve developed enough equity with the experience we have, with our fanbase, with the people watching over the past decade, that people can trust that we put a lot of thought into this decision. As I said, we feel like this is the best way for us to move forward. Discussions have been really important, and in particular, those that involve Draymond and Jordan together.”
Kerr said Poole, who hasn’t yet spoken publicly about the incident, has been professional and “mature.” It was reported that right after he got punched, he continued practicing on his shot. He didn’t miss the next day’s workout and scored a team-high 25 points in an exhibition against the Lakers.
Without Poole’s attitude, this situation could have gotten even murkier.
“Not much phases him,” Kerr said of Poole. “And I think that’s part of why we’re going the way we’re going. Because we know he’s fine, he’s willing to move forward. He’s willing to, basically, get back on the floor with Draymond and go to work.”
In addition to Poole, multiple veterans played pivotal roles in conversations that led to Green’s reinstatement. Kerr mentioned Stephen Curry and Kevon Looney — “the moral compass of our team” — specifically.
Green told reporters earlier this week “I am a very flawed human being” and vowed to continue to work on improving himself mentally and emotionally. He called that a “constant work in progress.”
When asked about his level of trust in Green earlier this week, Kerr quickly said “no comment.” But Tuesday, he backtracked that, explaining he was short because he was frustrated by the leaking of the video.
“Draymond and I have been together for years,” Kerr said when asked about his trust. “We’ve won championships together, we’ve lost championships together, we’ve been through an awful lot together. I trust him. He broke our trust with this incident. But I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because I think he’s earned that. And I think our team feels the same way.”
Green will get a chance to mend relationships — with the blessing of Kerr, Myers and the elder Warriors — later this week. He’s been practicing individually to stay active and has had a solid summer, Kerr said.
But given Green’s track record, there’s no guarantee more drama won’t follow. There will be heckling fans on the road. Every sideline interaction with Poole will be under a microscope. He has a podcast to make headlines with. Green is in a contract year and Poole could get a massive extension shortly.
It all adds to possibly more tests for the culture the Warriors are so proud of.
“We’ve got to work hard internally to try to regenerate the vibe we need,” Kerr said. “Because we know, we’ve lived this: you don’t win championships on talent alone. It takes chemistry, it takes collective will and a trust. And that has to be rebuilt right now.”
