Zaza Pachulia has watched Draymond Green as a teammate and an executive, and he’s adamant that the embattled Warrior only has winning on the mind.
Green – once again – is back in the news cycle for antics during a game. He was booted from Game 2 of the Warriors’ first round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings for stomping on Domantas Sabonis, and the league suspended him Tuesday night for one game.
Sabonis fell to the floor in the paint with about seven minutes to play and got tangled up with Green. The Warriors forward ultimately landed on Sabonis, then launched off him, which resulted in a flagrant two and ejection. Green said after the game that the only reason he landed where he did is because Sabonis was holding onto his ankle and that he was not flexible enough to avoid having his foot land on Sabonis’ chest. Clearly, the league wasn’t buying that.
Regardless of whether Green has a point, one thing he indisputably has is a reputation for nonsense. With six career flagrants and 27 technical fouls across 147 games in the postseason alone, Green has lost the benefit of the doubt. That was clear when the league cited past behavior as part of the reasoning behind the suspension.
But the messaging from the Warriors was clear Wednesday, with Pachulia defending Green on Steiny and Guru.
“Definitely not disappointed in Draymond because I’ve been fortunate to not only know him but play with him and (go) into the details,” Pachulia said. “I’ve seen the highs and lows, we shared the locker room, we shared so many amazing moments together. I know his intention is to help his team win a game. That’s not a negotiation.
“Like it or don’t, the guy has done so much for this organization, for this franchise. The reason we’re talking about championships that we are so proud of, building success on and off the court, Draymond Green is a huge reason, right? That’s not a negotiation.
“Is everybody perfect? No, that’s not the case. I wish we weren’t talking about the suspension, I wish we were not dealing with this. But at the same time, I know his every move is to help the team.”
One of the more curious parts of the whole situation is the timing. The NBA is headquartered in New York City, and they released the suspension at 11:38 p.m. ET. For those condemning the one-game ban, the belief that the news was deliberately buried late into the night added to the fishiness.
No matter the timing, it was a decision that Pachulia said caught him off guard.
“I was surprised with the decision too, to be honest," Pachulia said. "Personally, I was not expecting it, especially after Draymond was thrown out, getting a flagrant foul and getting thrown out from the game, I thought that was it. But I was surprised with the league’s decision, but it is what it is. The league decided already so there’s no point for me to say anything about it."
Pachulia might not have taken a flamethrower to the NBA with his comments, but behind the scenes the Warriors are said to be incensed with the decision.
Golden State trails in the series 2-0. They’ll either be on the verge of getting swept or one game away from evening the series when Green rejoins them for Game 4 on Sunday. Sabonis is listed as questionable for Thursday's Game 3 with a sternum contusion, but did practice Wednesday.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram