"That tech was some bulls**t" - Draymond Green sets his technical foul cap for season following his first tech with Warriors
In the Golden State Warriors season opener on Wednesday, Draymond Green was handed a technical foul in the second quarter of the team's clash with the Portland Trail Blazers. While Deni Avdija was at the line, Draymond Green was going back and forth with referee Tyler Ford. Then, official Tre Maddox began going back and forth with Green.
The result was the four-time NBA champ being handed a technical foul, his first of the season. In response, Steve Kerr called a timeout in order to give Green a chance to settle down.
While the technical call didn't impact the Warriors' ability to get the win on Wednesday night, Draymond Green shared his thoughts on the matter during the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show with veteran guard Baron Davis.
"I was bantering back and forth with Tyler Ford. ... Tre Maddox comes and stand next to me at the free throw line, ... Steve Kerr called the timeout. I said, 'Coach, that's bullshit, man. He come and talk to me, give me a tech.'"
"He's like, 'I watched it. I know it's bullshit, but we need you.' ... it's cool. I'm gonna have less than 10 technical fouls this year. I might even make a decision and keep it even less."
Steve Kerr explains his plan for Draymond Green's technical fouls this season
Last regular season, Draymond Green wound up racking 10 technical fouls and even wound up serving a suspension early last year for an altercation with Rudy Gobert.
The season before, Green wound up suspended for a game for racking up 16 technicals in a season, however this year, not only is he planning to accumulate fewer technicals, but Golden State coach Steve Kerr also has a plan of his own to make sure that when Green gets a technical, things don't spiral out of control.
Speaking to media members after the game, Kerr said that his timeout was a tactical one.
"I got the timeout pretty quickly; I'm just making sure we kept him on the floor. We say it all the time. You can't have it all. You can't ask Draymond to play with this amazing passion, energy, and effort and then tell him no; you have to tone down the emotion; it is all part of the package." [6:40 mark]
"So it is up to us whether it is taking a timeout or just trying to calm him down, but there is a reason Draymond is who he is. He is a champion, one of the best competitors I have been around, and there will be a lot of technicals."
Following Wednesday's season opener, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors will be back in action tonight when the team faces the Utah Jazz on the road.