The Warriors gave Draymond Green an undisclosed fine for punching Jordan Poole, but decided not to suspend the four-time NBA champion who is expected to play on the opening night against the Lakers.
Some doubted whether the decision was right considering that Golden State suspended Green for yelling at Kevin Durant three years ago. According to a former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy, it makes sense because KD was a more important player than Poole.
“The Warriors are not running an etiquette school and they’re not running a morality school,” he said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “So they’re going to do what’s in their best interest to try to keep winning.
“People I heard they say ‘Well, they suspended Draymond Green for yelling at Durant for one game. Why would it lesser one here?’ That’s because Durant was more important. He was a great, great player and they were trying to make a play not only to tell Durant of his importance, but to also re-sign him.
“They view this situation differently. These are hard situations because you are not trying to do what’s right for Poole, you’re not even trying to teach Green ‘a lesson,’ you’re trying to do what’s best for your team.”
