Draymond Green’s suspension is deserved, Warriors’ Kerr says

SAN FRANCISCO — In response to the recent events that led to a five-game suspension for Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, coach Steve Kerr expressed his disappointment without hesitation.

“He took it too far,” Kerr said ahead of the Warriors’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “Draymond was wrong. He knows that. It’s a bad look, and the five games are deserved.”

On Tuesday night, Green was ejected during a scuffle that involved him grabbing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck.

The altercation started when Gobert attempted to pull Klay Thompson off Jaden McDaniels, which led to Green making contact with Gobert. Coaches and players intervened, resulting in technical fouls and a flagrant foul 2 for Green.

“I don’t have a problem with [Green] trying to get Rudy off of Klay … but he’s got to let go,” Kerr said. “He hung on for six, seven seconds. It was a terrible visual for the league, for Draymond and for everybody.”

Following the incident, the NBA announced Green’s suspension, citing his past offenses as a factor in the disciplinary action.

“Draymond has to find a way to not cross the line,” Kerr said. “I’m not talking about getting an ejection or a technical, I’m talking about a physical act of violence. That’s inexcusable. We have to do everything we can to give him the help and assistance he needs to be able to draw that distinction between being an incredible competitor … but he can’t cross that line. He crossed it the other night, for sure.”

Notably, this is Green’s fifth career suspension, with previous suspensions including incidents in the playoffs and the 2016 NBA Finals.