Why I think Draymond Green really is ‘sorry’ for Jordan Poole punch – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The general response to Draymond Green’s latest apology for his spasm of violence during a Warriors practice 27 months ago has been a collective pat on the back. Too late, sir. Can’t regret the blow that took the smile off what was the happiest ship in the NBA.

When Green, the veteran leader, punched Jordan Poole in the face in October 2022, it spun the defending champions off their axis. And the team’s lukewarm handling of the incident, which was shared on a leaked video, is still raising eyebrows around the league.

The Warriors haven’t been the same – on or off the court. After countless talks at several levels, the recovery has yet to materialize. They needed an atomic game from Stephen Curry to avoid a first-round flameout in the 2023 playoffs, and a year later they were dispatched in the opener of the NBA Play-In tournament.

Such futility sits like barbed wire in Draymond’s stomach. He lives for success at the highest level and, with good reason, has placed considerable blame on himself for the once-elite Warriors’ descent into the NBA’s mediocrity.

Green also knows three things that, due to his desire to win, are unavoidable. First, that Poole was an integral part of Golden State’s 2022 championship team. Second, that his right fist directly led to Poole being traded. Third, that the Warriors would be a better team if they still had the offensive gifts Poole brought to the Washington Wizards.

Draymond’s apology came via social media late Saturday night, about five hours after he limped into the locker room with a left calf strain that took him out of the Warriors-Wizards game at the Chase Center. This was about two and a half hours after the Warriors’ 121-113 victory, after which Poole answered a question about his feelings for his former team.

“I love those guys over there,” Poole said after roasting his former team for 38 points. “I love most of those guys over there.”

After seeing Poole’s comments on the X account to ESPN/Andscape NBA reporter Marc J. Spears, Green acknowledged the exclusion and felt compelled to respond from his own account: “I’m really sorry.”

For what it’s worth, I think Draymond is sincere—mostly for the three reasons outlined above. And because, as he has admitted, his attack on a team-mate nine years younger, whose locker was strategically next to his own, amounts to a failure of management.

The Warriors finished the 2021–22 season with a 53–29 record. Curry led the team in scoring, with Klay Thompson second and Poole third. They finished in the same order while marching through the postseason. Curry was 34 years old; Thompson was 32 and Poole was 22.

The Warriors looked into their future.

When Golden State selected Poole in the first round (28th overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft, general manager Bob Myers said one of the factors leading to the decision was Poole’s ability to produce in big moments during his two seasons at the University of Michigan. The Warriors expected big moments for many more seasons.

Poole’s work in the playoffs convinced the Warriors and many others in the NBA that he had All-Star potential. Four months after the final – and 10 days after he was beaten by Green – Poole was signed to a four-year contract extension worth $128 million.

Poole’s offensive metrics dropped noticeably. He averaged 20.4 points per game. game, but his field-goal percentage dropped from 44.8 percent to 43, with his 3-point shooting dropping from 36.4 to 33.6. After leading the NBA in free throw percentage at 92.5 in 2021-22, he dropped to 87 percent. His 252 turnovers led the Warriors.

The most visible indication of Poole’s struggles came in the 2023 playoffs, when he shot 34.1 percent from the field, including 25.4 percent from beyond the arc. He was so atrocious that coach Steve Kerr limited his minutes to 21.9 per game — down from 27.6 last postseason.

Eight weeks later, the Warriors traded Poole to the Wizards. Part of their future was sacrificed for the sake of the present. Or so it seemed.

But the move brought no fortune. The Warriors are 67-56 since the trade. They finished fifth in the five-team Pacific Division last season, with Green missing 27 games – 17 due to two NBA suspensions.

Golden State’s 21-20 record halfway through this season ranks fourth in the division and 11th in the Western Conference when it takes the court Monday afternoon in the Chase to face the defending champion Boston Celtics. Green’s calf strain will force him to miss his eighth game of the season.

Several factors beyond the Green-Poole incident have contributed to the Warriors’ struggles. But this is a moment that could have been avoided, and it’s an ignominious moment Draymond knows he must own.

Is he really upset? Oh, yes. I have no doubt.

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