The Golden State Warriors season was thought to be over before it even started, with a video of Draymond Green punching teammate Jordan Poole getting leaked.
The Dubs just didn’t seem the same after the bad press and things finally ended with a 4-2 second-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs last week.
Now that the campaign is over for the 2022 NBA champions, folks are talking about the punch again, especially given that Poole was a shadow of his former self in 2023.
A source is now claiming that Draymond’s punch came as a result of Poole being disrespectful toward head coach Steve Kerr. The point guard came off a breakout season and played a huge role in the Warriors’ run to the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy; so it’s been suggested that his head was a bit swollen as his attitude towards his coaches and teammates was different.
“Apparently Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole before the season because Jordan Poole wasn’t listening to, and was being disrespectful to Steve Kerr,” said source claimed. “He said there is more involved than that but that’s the immediate reason Draymond responded the way he did.”
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The Warriors are a very private franchise so there’s been no confirmation where the above is concerned, nor were any beans spilled on the handling of the situation internally. It’s actually surprising that the video even made it out there.
Both Green and Poole have discussed the punch’s impact on the Warriors’ season in the wake of their playoff exit.
“I don’t speak on it much,” Poole told ESPN. “But I will say that … you’ve got to have a different level of maturity.
“We had a season to play. You’re going to have to play with these people in the locker room, and that’s why I said maturity is a big thing. What I know for a fact is there aren’t many people who would be able to think logically and understand the magnitude of the situation, you know?”
“S**t happens throughout every season,” Green added. “If you win a championship it’s a battle cry. But if you lose, you don’t go back and blame all of those things and say, ‘Oh this is the reason we lost.’
“Every season is made up of events. Some are great, some are not. I think for this team, more of the events were so public and that’s not something you normally deal with. But you band together and work around them. I think for the most part, we try to do that.”
It’s going to be an interesting offseason for the Warriors, with the futures of both Green and Poole now thought to be up in the air.
