Draymond Green takes veiled shots at former teammate
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green had some not-so-subtle jabs about his former teammate Jordan Poole and the effect the altercation between the two had on the team last season.
"Last year we had an awful team as far as chemistry goes.", Green said to ESPN's Kendra Andrews, "It was hard to come to work. Not fun.".
Stephen Curry also commented on the team's new look.
"You understand the vibe of what happened last year...We could get the elephants out of the room of [Paul] joining the team.".
This is an interesting perspective from Green who undoubtedly played a major role in that lack of chemistry. Prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, The Athletic reported that Green and Poole got into a physical altercation at practice which resulted in Green striking Poole in the face.
The responses from Warriors players and coaches attempted to downplay Green's role in the altercation. Steve Kerr tried to shift the focus to the person who recorded the video, explaining that these disputes "should not make it out of our walls.".
The punch had a significant effect on the Warriors' ensuing season as the team sputtered to a 44-38 record and a second-round exit in the playoffs at the hands of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Going into the 2023-24 season, the team knew it had to make a change as the tension between Poole and Green reached untenable levels, with this discontent for the former spreading to its other franchise star, Curry.
On June 22, 2023, the Warriors traded Poole to the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran guard Chris Paul — whom the Wizards previously acquired in the Bradley Beal trade — removing a dark cloud that had been hanging over this Warriors team all season.
"You can see the adults in this room, the professionals in the room, the steady forces in the room," Green said to Andrews.
The hypocrisy in this statement is overwhelming as you can easily make the case that punching your teammate is one of the most unprofessional actions you can do.
It's hard to not see Poole as the victim in this situation. First, you are punched by your teammate who only receives a fine, and then everyone in the organization downplays his role in the incident. Eventually, you are cast off from the team and all your former teammates celebrate your absence.
As unfortunate as this situation has gotten, it appears that everyone walks away a winner. The Warriors have started out the season 4-1 and have a legitimate shot at a fifth title in the Curry era and Poole can rebuild his confidence as a primary scorer on a team with low expectations.
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