MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Warriors weren’t stunned by the NBA’s choice to not downgrade Draymond Inexperienced’s Flagrant 2 foul from Recreation 1 of the Western Convention semifinals towards the Grizzlies on Sunday.
In the end, neither was Inexperienced.
And don’t count on the Warriors star to vary a factor about his sport, regardless of him being two flagrant foul factors away from an computerized one-game suspension.
“I’m by no means going to vary the way in which I play basketball,” Inexperienced mentioned Monday after apply. “It’s gotten me this far, it’s gotten me three championships, 4 All-Stars, Defensive Participant of the Yr – not going to vary now.”
Inexperienced was slapped with a Flagrant 2 foul late within the second quarter of Recreation 1 on Sunday for what crew chief Kane Fitzgerald deemed “pointless and extreme” contact with Brandon Clarke. On the play, Inexperienced hit Clarke within the head after which grabbed the collar of the Grizzlies ahead’s jersey as his hand got here down.
Inexperienced has maintained that his hand unintentionally received caught in Clarke’s jersey as the 2 descended.
After the Warriors’ thrilling 117-116 win, Clarke mentioned he wasn’t stunned by Inexperienced’s actions, noting that he’s seen the veteran make performs like that all through his profession.
Inexperienced on Monday was unbothered by Clarke’s feedback, although he believes his status of being a bodily participant is a part of the explanation the referees determined to toss him.
“My status is a badge of honor,” he mentioned. “Not everyone can earn that status. So life goes on.”
Inexperienced initially expressed optimism that his Flagrant 2 foul could be rescinded totally or diminished to a Flagrant 1 by the NBA. However the league got here to the conclusion the referees made the correct name.
“I've no response,” Kerr mentioned in response to the league’s choice. “We’re powerless on this stuff so regardless of the league decides, regardless of the referees resolve, that’s what stands after which we've got to maneuver on to the following sport.”
Added Stephen Curry, “It doesn’t actually matter by way of how we really feel about it. Advantage of what we do and hopefully what Draymond can do is put it behind him and proceed to be himself, play his sport and affect the sport like he is aware of do. But it surely’s clearly not stunning.”
Nonetheless, Curry believes the Warriors should be conscious of the scenario Inexperienced is in transferring ahead.
With the Flagrant 2 foul name staying as is, Inexperienced now has two flagrant foul factors to his identify this postseason. If he will get two extra, he’ll need to serve an computerized one-game suspension. (Gamers obtain two flagrant foul factors for a Flagrant 2 foul and one for a Flagrant 1 and have to sit down out a sport in the event that they accrue 4 factors.)
Inexperienced was suspended from Recreation 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals after selecting up 4 flagrant factors within the playoffs.
Kerr was vital of the league’s flagrant foul level system within the playoffs, saying it doesn’t make sense how a participant with a first-round exit is allotted the identical quantity of factors as a participant who makes it to the NBA Finals.
“One man performs 25 video games, the opposite man performs 4, and it’s the very same rule,” Kerr mentioned. “I’m not fairly positive how or why that's the case. Regardless, it's what it's.”
Inexperienced mentioned there’s a laundry record of “previous and outdated” guidelines, together with the playoff flagrant foul level system, that stay unchanged as a result of “individuals are too lazy to go change them.”
Curry helps Inexperienced being true to himself and his type of the sport.
“I simply need him to be himself and making performs he is aware of he’s able to making, affect the sport, be bodily,” he mentioned.
That’s precisely how Inexperienced plans to assault every sport.
“If I take the chew out of the way in which I play then we go house early and the factors don’t matter in any case,” he mentioned. “I don’t know take [the] chew out, that doesn’t actually work for me.”