LOS ANGELES — The Golden State Warriors are committed to forward Draymond Green despite his indefinite suspension for striking Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
On Thursday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said part of the decision to not put a hard number on Green’s suspension was to ensure there would be time for Green to get himself in a place where he can be around the team long term. The Warriors are truly approaching the timeline as indefinite and have no idea in mind as to when Green could possibly return.
That being said, Dunleavy couldn’t ensure there would ever be a change in Green’s behavior.
«I can’t guarantee you that,» Dunleavy said. «I can just say we will continue to do the right things to help him. I think we’ve done a decent job at that in the past, and we’ll continue to work through it all. There are a lot of parties involved. The biggest thing here to me is not the punishment, it’s helping and giving assistance.»
On Wednesday night, the league announced Green’s suspension timeline will be tied to him meeting «certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.»
«We want to see you at your best, and the best way for you to do that is to get yourself mentally and emotionally back to where you need to be,» NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars said on ESPN’s «First Take.» «That’s how we got to indefinite.»
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Green; Dunleavy; and Rich Paul, Green’s agent, are expected to meet Thursday to start discussing a path of counseling and help for Green to move forward.
Green will remain with the team throughout his suspension, although he’s not expected to be there every day. Dunleavy said it would be more beneficial for Green to stay connected to the group than «jettisoning the guy off somewhere.» Green was not with the team in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The main message the Warriors have been pushing during any of Green’s absences — this one and during his five-game suspension after putting Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold — is how much they will miss him in games, focusing on that more than on his behavior.
That’s also the bottom line they have been trying to stress to Green, telling him he has to do whatever it takes to stay on the floor.
«His ability this year has been great; his availability has not,» Dunleavy said. Green has missed a total of eight games to suspension, injuries or personal reasons this season, and he has been ejected from three more.
Dunleavy said the next 15 to 20 games will be critical in determining what roster adjustments the team has to make. Seeing how the team plays without Green will be more important in assessing what Golden State has to do, Dunleavy said, than Green himself.
The frustration over Green’s lack of availability becomes bigger as the Warriors, who are 10-13, try to navigate themselves out of their early struggles.
And there is some concern as to whether Green will be able to stay on the floor once he returns, as the league has repeatedly said Green’s prior acts will lead to harsher punishment.
«That’s part of the dance we got to walk and part of things we need to address,» Dunleavy said. «He’s got to be aware of it. Hopefully, we can get him to a point where he’s still the same high-energy, competitive guy. And if situations arise, he’s got to find a way to regulate that.»
But there’s an overall sense of disappointment within the Warriors at Green’s repeated behavior, and the fact that he hasn’t yet found a way to regulate his reactions on the court.
A source told ESPN last month that the Warriors lost leverage in punishing or holding Green accountable when they failed to do so when he punched former teammate Jordan Poole. Another source said when Green’s behavior that keeps him from the court outweighs the good he does on it, that’s when there could be a shift in the organization’s handling of Green.
Dunleavy hopes this saga and suspension will end differently from the others
«I think this is something a lot of people see as a problem, but we’re looking to turn it into a positive,» Dunleavy said. «He’s at a point in his career and his life where you want to get some things straightened out. Maybe you need a jolt like that. I think it’s been very positive, very open, and I’m extremely optimistic we can get where we need to go.»