More than two weeks have passed since Warriors forward Draymond Green punched his teammate Jordan Poole at practice. But reportedly, the locker room still has some healing to do.
According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, there is “iciness” in the locker room, and it seems Green is a bit isolated. Slater said that and more while on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco.
Slater says the feeling is “obvious,” leaving little doubt about this report, as Slater is dialed in to the Golden State locker room more than most.
The punch was bad enough, and since it was caught on video, it’s hard for some to look at Green the same. That apparently includes some of his teammates, at least for now. A number of them saw the punch for the first time thanks to the images leaked to TMZ.
Plus, Green brought the punch up on his own during a documentary he produced for TNT, which aired right before the Warriors’ season-opening win against the Lakers.
The iciness in the Warriors’ locker room will likely go away at some point. But it’s clear that Green’s punch changed the dynamics on the roster. How much those feelings dissipate remains to be seen.
For the Warriors to win another championship, those icy feelings will have to continue to thaw, one would think. Or not. Perhaps Golden State could remain a locker room divided and still win a title. But they’d be smart to not test that notion and become as unified as possible after Green’s punch.
Superstar Stephen Curry has to continue to show leadership, as does coach Steve Kerr, F Andrew Iguodala, and even guard Klay Thompson. Luckily for the team, they can all focus on repeating as NBA champions. That’s a vital goal that everyone can agree on despite any awkward dynamic in the locker room, especially after Poole’s contract extension and Green’s uncertain future contract status in the Bay Area.
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