Steph Curry has played alongside Draymond Green for 10 seasons, meaning he has had a front-row seat witnessing his teammate’s rather complicated relationship with NBA officials.
So, when the NBA refused to reduce Green’s Flagrant 2 foul from Sunday’s Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, Curry didn’t blink.
“Shocking,” he sarcastically uttered to reporters following Monday’s practice in Memphis.
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Short term, Green’s ejection on Sunday meant Golden State had to navigate without the heart and soul of its defense for the entire second half of Game 1. The Warriors passed that test, scratching out a gutsy 117-116 victory to take a 1-0 series lead over Memphis.
It’s the long term that’s the problem. Green now has two flagrant points for the 2021-22 postseason. Had the league reduced his violation to a Flagrant 1 foul, Green would have just one point. Why it matters: Four flagrant points over a single postseason run adds up to a one-game suspension.
On Sunday night, Green went on his podcast “The Draymond Green Show” and acknowledged he was hoping for the NBA to lower the violation to a Flagrant 1, stating he was “looking forward to getting it rescinded.”
That did not happen.
Golden State Warriors
“I don’t know what the explanation was,” Curry said. “It really doesn’t matter in terms of how we feel about it. But [the] good thing about what we do, and hopefully what Draymond can do, is just put it behind him. Continue to be himself, play his game, impact the game like he knows how to do.”
Looking back at the play, many Warriors fans -- and even NBA players like Damian Lillard and Trae Young -- believed the ejection wasn’t warranted and only assessed because it was Green committing the foul.
Curry seemed to agree.
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“We’ll never know, but if someone else does that exact same foul -- is it a [Flagrant 1]? Is it a [Flagrant 2]? Whatever it is,” he said. “That’s the mind games you can play with yourself.
“Because it’s him, because of just the way he plays the game can influence the way you read a call. That’s the unfortunate part.”
And just to make sure his sarcastic tone on his one-word answer above was clear:
“But it’s obviously not shocking.”