NBA player turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has had enough of Draymond Green‘s shenanigans. On Thursday’s episode of the Pat McAfee show, Perkins launched a tirade against the Golden State Warriors star after he was ejected less than four minutes into his team’s matchup with the Orlando Magic, which fortunately for Green ended with a Dubs win.
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Green got into a verbal spat with referee Ray Acosta after a foul call on teammate Andrew Wiggins and was handed two technical fouls in quick succession, ending his night unceremoniously. Perkins called out the veteran forward for not letting the petty argument go despite Stephen Curry imploring him to.
The Warriors were already without Jonathan Kuminga and lost Green within four minutes of the first quarter, leaving Curry dismayed. The two-time MVP couldn’t hold back his emotions and was left almost teary-eyed and visibly exhausted after the veteran forward made his exit. Explaining Curry’s situation to viewers, Perkins said,
“Steph Curry is not 100% healthy. He’s laying it out there on the line night in and night out. You can see it in his face. You can see his love for the game and how much he wants to win, and Draymond, you go and do some dumba*s stuff like that.”
Curry has been nursing an ankle injury and has missed three successive games earlier this month. The veteran guard hasn’t completely recovered from the injury but is playing to ensure the Warriors don’t slip below 10th and miss the play-in tournament.
While Curry is risking his long-term health to help the team, Green’s inexcusable actions, especially with Kuminga out, are hurting the Warriors. The forward has already missed 21 games due to two separate suspensions, which has left the team reeling in the 10th spot in the standings. Green’s refusal to learn from his mistakes has irked fans and analysts like Perkins alike and has undoubtedly been frustrating for Curry and the Warriors.
Warriors’ precarious play-in berth battle with the Rockets
For the last two months, the Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers have been swapping ninth and 10th place in the Western Conference standings and were seemingly destined to battle in the play-in tournament. However, the Lakers have ripped off five straight wins, while the Warriors have lost three of their last six, giving LA a 2.5-game lead over Golden State in the standings.
With ninth place quickly slipping out of grasp, the Warriors now face the unfathomable prospect of losing the 10th place in the standings to the Houston Rockets, who’ve won 12 of their last 13 games, including the last ten. The Warriors are only one game ahead of the Rockets in the standings and the two teams’ recent form suggests it’s only a matter of time before they swap places.
The Warriors need a strong finish to their regular season campaign to avoid missing out on the play-in tournament. The two teams are scheduled to battle next week and the outcome of that contest could go a long way in determining which team gets the last play in spot. The Warriors are under the cosh and in these circumstances, they cannot afford to lose Draymond Green in a game due to his baffling shenanigans.
