Draymond Green has been suspended for Game 3
The Warriors’ 0-2 hole has become even more deep.
The NBA has officially announced that Draymond Green will be suspended for Game 3 against the Sacramento Kings.
The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/KEnWx2qTvs
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 19, 2023
The wording on the official ruling states that Green was suspended “based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts,” which means that the stomp on Domantas Sabonis was probably the last straw for the league.
Not having Green around for Game 3 will be tough for the Golden State Warriors, who will be without the services of their best defender. Opponents scored 9.8 points per 100 possessions fewer during Green’s 2,298 non-garbage-time minutes on the floor during the regular season, per Cleaning The Glass — a difference that takes the Warriors from being the equivalent of the best defense in the league to the second-worst.
Without Green, the Warriors also can’t afford to play small. Green unlocks so many of the Warriors’ small lineups as well as providing tons of versatility on both ends. Their lineup options have suddenly become extremely limited — and being down 0-2 against the Kings, the hole they’re currently in has suddenly become much deeper.