Draymond Green is no stranger to controversy. His latest action on court has brought his name up again, as the Warriors star tripped Grizzlies big man Zach Edey in Golden State’s 123-118 win over Memphis. At the time, the foul was deemed a common foul, but the NBA upgraded it to a Flagrant 1 after the final whistle. However, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins disagrees and thinks Green should be suspended for a long period.
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Green’s foul on Edey took place in the NBA Cup matchup between the two teams. In the third quarter of the contest, Green drove to the basket but fell to his own accord. Edey retrieved the ball, and Green, seemingly pinning Edey’s ankle in between his arm, pulled him down. Perkins took to ESPN’s ‘First Take’, where he didn’t hide any of his disgust toward Draymond’s actions. He said,
“I actually think Draymond [Green] should be suspended for an extended period of time… This could have been a season-ending injury [for Zach Edey]… There’s no room, no place in our game for those type of actions.”
"I actually think Draymond [Green] should be suspended for an extended period of time… This could have been a season-ending injury [for Zach Edey]… There's no room, no place in our game for those type of actions."
– Kendrick Perkinspic.twitter.com/ZAtXxY9b2m
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 19, 2024
Perkins believes the NBA’s sentencing didn’t ensure the justice that should’ve been served. The former NBA Champion with the Celtics demands that the NBA suspend Green for an extended time. He didn’t give a conclusive number of games, but highlighted Green’s past actions for a frame of reference.
His demand isn’t far from the realm of reason. Edey is 7-foot-4 and 305 lbs. Green pulling down the big man from his Achilles could’ve resulted in a serious injury due to his physical stature. To maintain player safety, the NBA might suspend Green in this situation.
Draymond’s history with hard fouls
Perkins’ co-host on ‘First Take’ Stephen A. Smith, couldn’t ignore Green’s history with suspensions and dirty plays. Smith suggests that, unlike other players who would’ve been examined in the situation at face value, Green’s past should be taken into consideration.
“If it was somebody else, they get the flagrant, and that’s all we’re talking about. But because it’s Draymond Green, and it’s his history, we’re going to be talking about him,” said Smith. There is a justified reason for the narrative to be directed toward Green considering his unpleasant track record.
In the 2023-24 season, Green received an indefinite suspension following a strike to Suns center Jusuf Nurkić. That altercation came after he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock and stomped on Domantas Sabonis’ chest in the 2023 playoffs. That suspension lasted 12 games before the NBA reinstated Green. According to Perkins’ statement, the proposed suspension should at least last the same amount of games based on the criteria.
There hasn’t been word that the NBA will suspend Green for his actions toward Edey. However, he is certainly under a microscope going forward for the rest of the season. Draymond is having an All-Defensive level season and has helped the Warriors to 2nd in the Western Conference. The last thing the team needs is to potentially lose their defensive ace.
