Draymond Green makes alarming statement in his comeback from 16-game suspension / News - Basketnews.com

Draymond Green wasn't happy about the Warriors' attitude against Memphis and said his team must show pride on the defensive end.

Credit: USA TODAY Sports-Scanpix Credit USA TODAY Sports-Scanpix

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green returned to action Monday after missing 16 games as part of a league suspension for his history of misconduct, the action coming after he hit Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a December 12 game.

Player of the Game EFF 27 Vince Williams Jr. Points 24 Accuracy 6-11 Rebounds 7 Assists 4

Green was assessed a Flagrant 2, which led to his ejection in the third quarter. That blow led the league to hand down an indefinite suspension of Green on December 14. League officials said the punishment was for the defensive stalwart’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” The ejection for hitting Green in the face was his 18th, most among NBA players.

Earlier this season, Green was suspended for five games after grabbing Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock.

Green didn’t start the game against Memphis, but entered with 6:10 left in the first quarter. He had seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal while shooting 2/4 from the field and 1/1 from the three-point range in 23 minutes of playing time.

Asked before the game about Green’s impact, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said part of what’s been missing is communication on defense.

"He's our emotional leader, and he brings the fire and energy that we need," Kerr said. "We have a relatively quiet team, so his leadership is important to us."

The Warriors were 8-8 during the 16 games he missed. The forward averages 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

After the game, Green met with the media and was honest in his reaction to the loss.

"Our closeouts was too soft, our rotations were too slow, so it's just no pride. Until every guy takes pride in themselves and wants to stop the guy in front of them, [we] will suck," he pointed out.

With the loss, the Warriors fell to 18-22 in their first 40 games, which has them as the 12th seed in the Western Conference. They are 3-7 over their last ten games and in the middle of a two-game losing streak.

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