Draymond Green has officially put the Golden State Warriors in another deep hole once again. During their previous game against the Phoenix Suns, the 4x All-Star smacked Jusuf Nurkic with his hand. Until the incident happened, the Warriors had a good lead and could’ve won the game had he not reacted the way he did. But after getting ejected over a flagrant 2 foul, Green’s absence resulted in a fourth-quarter downfall.
The Warriors have already lost way too much leverage in the Western Conference. Right now, they are 11th in the West with a record of 10 wins and 13 losses. It is quite unfortunate to see a team like the Warriors spiral, especially since they’re just over a year fresh off a title reign. Draymond received a lot of criticism as his behavior of manhandling players on the court has gotten out of hand. This was his third ejection in 15 games.
The NBA slapped Draymond Green with a suspension and his return is indefinite for the time being. Green is facing his second suspension after serving five games two weeks ago for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold. While he didn’t apologize to Gobert, he did to Nurkic. According to him, he was trying to sell a call and Nurkic was smacked by accident. Suns coach Frank Vogel claimed the play for dangerous and reckless, while Nurkic felt that Green needed help.
Jonathan Kuminga needs to utilize Draymond Green’s absence to prove himself
The NBA hasn’t issued a return timetable for Draymond Green as yet. They claim that Green is required to meet certain guidelines provided by the league before returning. The 4x NBA Champion’s agent and Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy are expected to discuss counseling methods to help him move forward. However, someone has to fill up his spot while he serves his suspension, and this might be Jonathan Kuminga’s chance.
Shams Charania of The Athletic recently highlighted a possible roster change while Green serves his suspension. He said, “There’s a sense, I think in the basketball community, that you want Stephen Curry, Draymond Green & Klay Thompson to just ride off into the sunset. And with that, Andrew Wiggins [as well]. I think Steve Kerr wants to give them every opportunity to do it. But now I think you have to make the best decision for the organization. And that means, going with Jonathan Kuminga moving forward.”
Shams suggests that Jonathan Kuminga could secure a permanent starting position if he performs well during Draymond Green’s absence 👀
(🎥 @RunItBackFDTV ) pic.twitter.com/SHs5e84Hen
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 14, 2023
Shams also believed that as long as Kuminga proves that he can be a proper replacement, he will remain in the starting lineup. Kuminga has been averaging 11.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. When you compare these stats to Draymond Green’s, Kuminga only needs to be given more minutes to produce higher numbers. He also shoots at a higher volume when compared to Green, which will be a boost offensively.