Apologies for the recent lack of posts on this website. The Japan trip threw me for a loop because not only was stuff happening at odd hours, but also there were tons and tons of footage, to the tune of up to 30 minutes per video. Still, a lot of the notes and quotes I embedded inside those videos in the Description field. Bottom line: I got behind, so this will have to do as a catch up.
I might still do a “things we learned from the Japan Games” article tomorrow when the Warriors have the day off, I’m not sure. Just all these little tidbits like how JaMychal Green is actually left-handed (or ambidextrous) and “Draymond” is pronounced in three syllables in Japanese, things like that that DubNation and I picked up while I edited the videos and people commented with their observations and quips.
And I should do another couple insider-y articles like how I’ve been told Gui Santos will get an Exhibit 10 contract and there’s been no indication made to Les Quinones that he’s in competition for his already signed two-way contract with the advent of Ty Jerome. So if I never get around to those articles, there’s my mini-bomb-drop.
As for today I’m the aftermath of the Draymond Green “punch” of Jordan Poole, or as Shams Charania described, an “impact hit” above the neck, on the Pat McAfee Show, below are the relevant views from practice and interviews with Bob Myers, Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry, followed by notes and quotes.
DISCLAIMER: These are all just notes for my main workflow of YouTube videos, tweeted by beatwriters. I used to transcribe every interview but it became too tedious and not worth the investment for the small amount of views we got on the soundbites on YouTube. The links to the tweets are not available because sometimes I don’t use the full tweet and just having a ton of tweets on this website imo isn’t aesthetically pleasing and gets away from the main goal: transferring information (not so much entertainment) asap.
BOB
• Bob Myers on the Draymond Green / Jordan Poole situation: “Everyone is fine. Jordan practiced today, Draymond Green. It’s the NBA. Professional sports. These things happen…Jordan (Poole) practiced today. Draymond (Green) didn’t…We don’t condone it but it happened…We don’t like going through it but it’s part of the NBA…Space is good…Yesterday wasn’t a good moment. Bottom line. It wasn’t a good moment.” Myers said Draymond went home after apologizing to the team. Green’s suspension will be handled internally. Draymond Green apologized to the team this morning. Wouldn’t comment on whether Green will be back in the facility in the coming days. Deferred that question to Steve Kerr. “I think we’re gonna get past this. I don’t think this stays for the rest of the season. We’ll move on.” (CJ Holmes, Mark Haynes, 95.7 The Game, Kerith Burke, Anthony Slater)
• Myers said he doesn’t sense the incident between Green and Poole stemmed from any tension with possible contract extensions looming: “I don’t think this was related to who’s getting paid and who isn’t.” (Mark Medina)
• On the Warriors’ locker room: “This group has been together a long time, which means you’ve been through a lot. It helps to have the same people in the room. There are a lot of real relationships on this team that can withstand adversity.” (Mark Medina)
• On if this will impact contract talks for Draymond Green and Jordan Poole: “It doesn’t change an approach. It doesn’t change our feelings on it.” (95.7 The Game)
• Myers said he’s having “ongoing” talks with Jordan Poole’s reps about a contract extension. Myers insisted the Draymond-Poole altercation won’t affect contract extension talks with either players: “We’ve talked with them, we’re gonna keep talking.” (Mark Medina, 95.7 The Game)
• Myers to Curry this morning, in a moment of levity: “You ready to do some leading?” Curry: “Y’all gotta pay me more.” Myers: “We’re paying you as much as we can.” (Monte Poole)
• Myers says Draymond Green has crossed the line before but he always comes back from it: “I think he’ll find the way to earn the respect of his teammates and Jordan back, but that’s the work he has to do…I have confidence that it won’t erode the fabric of our team.” (Melissa Rohlin)
• On whether Draymond Green will miss any games: “I don’t think so at this point. I didn’t hear it.” (Melissa Rohlin, 95.7 The Game)
• Myers said he was told the dialogue before the Draymond/Poole altercation was “not anything more than the normal bickering in a scrimmage.” (Mark Medina)
• Myers said Draymond Green is one of his favorite players: “Draymond is one of my favorite players…I still love the person but don’t love what he did…I just said, ‘You’re better than this. Don’t do this to yourself and don’t put yourself in this position.’…He’s complicated but he is a good person. I’ve seen it, I’ve seen the things he’s done, yesterday wasn’t one of them…He’s been over that line. But he always comes back. He’s a unique guy. Without him, we don’t win.” (Melissa Rohlin, Mark Haynes, 95.7 The Game, Madeline Kenney, Mark Medina)
STEVE
• Steve Kerr: “Anytime something happens, we try to handle things internally. It’s difficult to keep everything in-house, obviously.” Defers further comment on Green/Poole incident to GM Bob Myers. Kerr described Jordan Poole as “fantastic in camp.” Kerr won’t comment on the Green/Poole situation beyond Bob Myers’ comments. He did want to set the record straight regarding reports Jordan Poole’s attitude led to a “buildup” with Draymond: “Jordan has been fantastic throughout camp, there is a report I was made aware of last night, someone put out there that Jordan had an attitude, and that couldn’t be further from the truth…I want to make sure I set the record straight on that…It’s sad to see misinformation out there.” (Mark Medina, CJ Holmes, Kate Rooney, 95.7 The Game)
• Kerr said that Draymond Green won’t practice on Friday, but plans to return to the group on Saturday: “Didn’t practice today. He won’t be here tomorrow. I expect him to return Saturday and get back at it.” FWIW: Friday will be an off day for entire team. (Mark Medina, Connor Letourneau, Monte Poole)
• “I’m not gonna answer anything more, because Bob answered what needed to be answered.” (95.7 The Game)
• Klay Thompson did not scrimmage today and will not be available for Sunday’s preseason game. (CJ Holmes, Kendra Andrews)
• Kerr, when asked about his incident with Michael Jordan and whether that was hard to move forward from: “Just watch, ‘The Last Dance.’” (Melissa Rohlin)
• On the Warriors’ blending eras of youth and veterans: “You rarely see this where a team can compete for a championship, but actually win one like we did a year ago, and still have all these you players who represent the future.” (95.7 The Game)
• Kerr says today’s practice still had good energy: “There’s been a great vibe. We’ve had a hell of a camp. You have bumps in the road and you deal with it.” (95.7 The Game)
• Kerr said Andre Iguodala’s leadership is key in this situation: “Andre is one of the great leaders I’ve ever been around…We knew we were gonna need his internal leadership.” (95.7 The Game)
STEPH
• Steph Curry called the Draymond Green/Jordan Poole altercation “an unfortunate situation,” but described the practice vibe as “great.” Steph: “It’s never fun, it’s never great. It’s about dealing with reality as it is. Whatever happened yesterday, we deal with it…It’s a situation that could have been avoided but there’s a lot of trust in the fabric of our team and who we know those two guys to be…The personal dynamics will work themselves out as part of the culture that we build here.” (Melissa Rohlin, Mark Medina, Kerith Burke, 95.7 The Game)
• “Vibe in practice was great…obviously an unfortunate situation and could have been avoided…I like how we responded today, had a good practice with great energy, trying to keep that as the focus.” (Kate Rooney)
• Curry called it “absolute BS” that Jordan Poole has had a bad attitude at camp: “There was nothing that warranted the situation yesterday…It’s not fair to JP.” (Mark Medina, Madeline Kenney, 95.7 The Game)
• On how he approaches these moments with Draymond: “Be honest with it. He respects my opinion. He respects how I feel.” (Melissa Rohlin)
• “The great teams figure out how to do it professional and make it about basketball.” (Mark Medina)
• On Draymond Green’s apology: “It was necessary, but you have to ask every guy on how they received it, JP, especially.” (Mark Medina)
• On Victor Wembanyama: “He’s like a ‘2K create a player.’…Cheat code type vibes.” (Mark Medina, 95.7 The Game)
• On Andre Iguodala’s leadership: “He does an amazing job of saying all the right things at the right time to the right people. … It’s invaluable what he brings on that front.” (95.7 The Game)
• On Curry said he doesn’t believe the looming contract extension talks sparked the Draymond Green, Jordan Poole situation: “From what I feel and from what has been said: No.” (Anthony Slater)
• On Draymond being emotional and describing the altercation: “It was nothing out of the ordinary, til it wasn’t.” (95.7 The Game)
• On leading the team through this:“It is possible to get through stuff like this. These inflection points and these moments can make or break a team. And my job is to not let it break us at all.” (Melissa Rohlin)
👍👍💛💙