Some NBA Insiders Reportedly Think Draymond Green Gets 'Leeway' on Certain Fouls
Some around the NBA believe Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is getting "too much leeway" with referees, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
Appearing Friday on First Take, Windhorst reported that one point of contention is how much Green is perceived to get away with when a) arguing with officials and b) making borderline illegal contact when he has five fouls.
The most recent example of the former came Thursday night in Golden State's 117-93 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In the second quarter, the four-time All-Star received a technical foul for making contact to the head of Minnesota's Naz Reid. He then vented his frustration to the officiating crew, with teammate Stephen Curry helping to settle him down on the sideline.
Plenty of fans in Minneapolis thought the outburst warranted a second technical.
After the game, Green hit back at what he called an "agenda" to make him look like an "angry Black man."
"I'm not an angry Black man," he told reporters. "I am a very successful, educated Black man with a great family, and I am great at basketball and great at what I do. The agenda to try to keep making me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I'm sick of it. It's ridiculous."
There's no question that Green's reputation amplifies these moments and perhaps blows them out of proportion. But his detractors will point to how he's a repeat offender.
The nadir for the 6'6" forward came when he struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić during a game in December 2023. He received an indefinite suspension and attended counseling sessions, which were tracked by the NBA.
The fact of the matter is, there's a clear cost for the Warriors when Green is called for technical or flagrant fouls and they accumulate enough to get him suspended.
His extended absence in 2023-24 played a role in the Warriors finishing in a Play-In Tournament position, where they failed to secure a playoff bid.
Now, the team is trying to hang in there against the Wolves with Curry nursing a hamstring strain.
Two more technical fouls for Green at any point in this postseason run would trigger an automatic one-game ban. Golden State and Minnesota are tied at 1-1 in the series, and losing another one of their best players would risk tilting the scales firmly against the Warriors.
