Warriors News’ Draymond Green explains why the Steve Kerr debate has heated up

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – While it is The Golden State Warriors won 120-97 over the Orlando Magic, in perhaps their cleanest win of a difficult season so far, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for a team trying to rally.

Midway through the third quarter, with the Warriors up 71-66, Steve Kerr called a timeout to reorganize the group after a period of unfocused basketball. It was there in the crowd Kerr and Draymond Green had a heated argument in the Dubs huddle, resulting in Green leaving the bench and entering the team’s locker room.

“The thermals were overflowing and I thought it was best to get out of there,” Green said. “I don’t think it was a situation that was going to improve. It was best to remove myself.”

Green spent the final 8:31 of the third quarter in the locker room before returning to the bench, wearing a black warmup jacket, where he remained until the end of the fourth quarter. Green told reporters he owed it to his teammates to get back on the bench and support them. Brandin Podziemski said Green shared his insight and words of encouragement while on the bench in the fourth.

Kerr confirmed that it was Green’s decision to leave the bench; he and the coaching staff did not send him to the locker room.

“We pulled back a little bit,” Kerr said. “He decided to go back to the locker room to cool off. That’s all I’ll say about it. It’s all private.”

While neither Green nor Kerr shared the details of their heated exchange, Green said the argument stemmed from “basketball” and the nature of the sport.

“That’s what we do. We play basketball,” Green said. “It’s an emotional game. People lose their emotions. Sometimes it happens, and it is what it is. We’ve been in this for a long time. So sometimes (you’re) with people for a long time, there’s a comfort level, and s**t happens. Let’s move forward.”

How Golden State reacted after Green’s benching

It was the second game in a row that Green left the game early. Green was ejected in the second quarter of the Warriors’ 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns last Saturday. It was the second straight game the Warriors were forced to rally without their defensive anchor and veteran mainstay.

“There’s a sense of urgency when (Green) isn’t there,” Curry said. “The margin for error goes down without him around. That’s the frustrating part of this whole thing. Being 15-15, we feel like we’re playing better than your record shows because we can respond.”

After Green fouled out at 8:31 of the third quarter, the Warriors responded by outscoring the Magic 54-26 the rest of the way. Fueled by Stephen Curry’s 26 points, including 15 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting in the third quarter, and Jimmy Butler’s 21 points, the Dubs swept Orlando and never looked back.

They got a strong performance from Moses Moody, who added 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Brandin Podziemski continued his steady play of late, posting a career-high 36 plus/minus.

Everything that happened on the court for Golden State could indicate that the team is learning from its early season mistakes. A team on the verge of turning things around. But the argument between Green and Kerr overshadowed most of the positives the Dubs built over the last two games, including how the Warriors got back to .500 on the season.

“The questions are a little more negative than they should be,” Curry said. “I understand why you’re asking them, but right now down there, the DJ’s got a good playlist, the guys are getting into their business, and we’re having a good time because we’re winning.”

Will this latest episode stick with the Warriors?

Green and Kerr’s exchange is certainly not the first time the two have had a heated argument.

During the 2016 season, in which the Dubs went 73-9, Green and Kerr got into a locker room fight at halftime of the Warriors’ highly competitive game with the Oklahoma City Thunder in February. ESPN’s Lisa Saulters reported Green repeatedly yelled at Kerr“I’m not a robot!” despite many attempts by Kerr and Green’s teammates to calm him down.

But heated moments between Green and Kerr, like this latest one, have been worked into the equation of their 12-season relationship — especially given their competitive natures.

“We’ve won a lot of championships together, a lot of success,” Green said. “He’s had a lot of success as a coach. I’ve had a lot of success as a player. Those things can never be taken away. We’re going to keep winning, and that’s the most important thing.”

For Green, moments of frustration can be good for the team – if channeled in the right way.

“I think if you know if your frustration is doing the right things and everything is moving in the right direction. It’s not always going to be as out there as you want it to be. So I think that’s how you make sure it’s positive. As long as it’s focused on what the main goal is, and everybody can understand that and work through it. If it’s not focused on that.”

But whether this particular incident sticks with the Warriors and their quest to turn around this mediocre season remains to be seen. Kerr, Green and Curry all expressed that they don’t expect this incident to sway the team moving forward.

“We need Draymond, and he’s a champion. We’ve been together a long time,” Kerr said. “It’s unfortunate that it happened, but it happened.”