"Giving him space": Steve Kerr admits lack of communication between Warriors and Draymond Green
Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors will be playing their 10th straight game since Draymond Green was handed an indefinite suspension by the NBA. The last time Green played for the team was on Dec. 12 against the Phoenix Suns. “Dray” smacked Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, which led to his ejection and eventual suspension.
After Green’s punishment was announced, many were wondering how long it would take for the former Defensive Player of the Year winner to return. Kerr has often insisted that it’s not about how many games the forward will be out. The important thing for the team is that he gets all the time he needs to sort things out.
Leading into Tuesday’s game versus the Orlando Magic Steve Kerr gave an update on Draymond Green’s situation (via Anthony Slater):
“He [Green] has not been in the facility, at least with us. He may have been coming in on his own. … We text but we’ve been giving him his space, he’s been giving us ours.”
Green has reportedly been undergoing counseling. The Warriors front office and Kerr have been in contact with him but for the most part, Green has been given his space. The Dubs’ charismatic forward will need to meet certain “league and team conditions” to be reinstated. Golden State’s coach has emphasized that the team will not skip steps in the process.
Without the four-time champ in the lineup, the Golden State Warriors are 5-4. They dropped their last three games and now hold a 15-17 record, which puts them in the 11th spot in the Western Conference.
Trayce Jackson-Davis has shown his worth in Draymond Green’s absence
Without Draymond Green, Steve Kerr has been forced to go to his bench. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis has stepped up big time in Green’s absence. After rarely playing to start his NBA career, Kerr has started to count on the athletic big.
In Saturday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Jackson-Davis scored a career-high 17 points to go with six rebounds, two steals and one block. The Golden State Warriors, however, couldn’t hold off the Mavericks in the end.
After the game, Steve Kerr noted the rookie’s improved play but mentioned that without Draymond Green, the defense has suffered:
“The defense struggled all night. I mean, they scored 132 points and we just couldn’t stop them. Offensively, we were fine. You score 122, that should be enough.
Steve Kerr and the Warriors will continue to rely on Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dario Saric and Kevon Looney as the team waits for Green’s return.