You take the bad with the good with Draymond Green, and with the Warriors missing Steph Curry, who left during warm-ups because he was "not feeling well," along with their two top centers, Golden State desperately needed the good Draymond. They did not particularly get him against Charlotte, as Green shot just 2-for-7 from the field for five points with seven boards. But they still entered the game's closing moments with a lead. That's when really-not-good Draymond showed up.
With 13 seconds left and the Warriors up two, a jump ball bounced around a bit before ending up in the hands of Gordon Hayward, who maybe had something like possession for a half-second before Green tied him up. But in that half-second Hornets forward P.J. Washington called for a timeout (you can see him in the video below standing directly on the midcourt line) and got it. Green was incensed and let everyone know it, and promptly got hit with a pair of techs.
Charlotte received two foul shots, making both to tie the game, and the ball. And Terry Rozier made the most of it.
Green was particularly upset, and Steve Kerr none too pleased either, because on the previous possession, Warriors guard Brad Wanamaker had possession before being tied up by LaMelo Ball, and instead of Golden State being given the timeout Kerr tried to call for, officials signaled for the jump ball. So, a series of controversies here.
Afterward, crew chief Marc Davis told a pool reporter that all the calls were correct, as confirmed by postgame video. Green's "first technical was assessed when he directed profanity at his opponent," Davis said. "He then proceeded to direct screaming profanity at a game official and received his technical foul and was ejected as per rule."
And the tie-ups/timeouts? "LaMelo ties Brad up prior to Kerr requesting the timeout. The postgame video confirmed this decision as correctly judged ... P.J. Washington requested its timeout and Gordon Hayward had clear and sole possession of the ball ... Postgame video review confirms this decision."
Well, what can you do? Except maybe try to keep it together in crunch time.
"Draymond can't do that. He knows that. He made a terrible mistake getting T'd up and giving them a chance to shoot two free throws and tie the game.“He crossed the line, that's the main thing. We love his passion and his energy and we would not be the team we are without him. But that doesn't give him license to cross the line—and he knows that."
Steve Kerr
Green didn't appear in the postgame video press conference, but teammates said he was apologetic. For as refreshing as Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins have been, a Warriors team that has to rely on them and only them is not only unfamiliar—it's not very good, either.
