The Warriors' Draymond Green doesn't like being perceived as a 'dirty player'
The Warriors star says he doesn't do 'dirty things'
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
Draymond Green has become a target of immense criticism during these playoffs after his various antics vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals that resulted in a bruised testicle for Steven Adams and widespread fervor over his play. Between the kicks to the face and the incident with Adams in Game 7, the implication is that Green steps over the line of "physical" and into "dirty."
In a podcast with the Bay Area News Group's Tim Kawakami, Green discussed his feelings on that perception, as transcribed by CSN Bay Area:
"I hate that. I hate that," Draymond answered. "I don't like people calling me dirty because I know I don't do dirty things. At the end of the day, they're gonna say whatever they want to say, and I'm not gonna lose no sleep over it. But I don't like people to call me dirty because I know I'm not a dirty player."
Source: Draymond Green hates when people call him 'dirty' | CSN Bay Area.
The real question is whether Green is intentionally trying to cause harm, or if it's all incidental. If it's the latter, there's a question of whether or not Green is "reckless" with his behavior. Plays like this create that perception:
Green also did this last year to Mike Conley after he suffered a facial fracture:
There's a pattern here, but that pattern doesn't dictate intent.
Commissioner Adam Silver indicated in his press conference that he felt Green was clearly trying to "create contact" by flailing and that the league may look at changing the officiating in such instances, but also made it clear he doesn't view it as an intentional move. There's a very big difference between playing so hard that you risk another player's injury, and purposefully trying to deliver hits that would create such injury. Proving that Green has that kind of intent is nearly impossible.
That's part of why he hasn't been significantly punished, yet. But you can be sure that the league will be watching his play in the Finals very closely.
