So the NBA has bought Draymond Green’s side of the Steven Adams nutshot story and declined to suspend him. It may not be the right call, and it’s easy to paint the decision as one for entertainment purposes, but there’s also compelling evidence that Green’s kick was an unlucky result of a policy of wild flailing (of which Green isn’t the only perpetrator).
It’s not a straightforward issue, but that didn’t stop Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, ESPN’s color commentators for Game 4 of Cavaliers-Raptors, from giving their two cents on the matter.
Van Gundy and Jackson bring up the same points as everyone else arguing in favor of Green getting suspended: Intent aside, the act was very similar to the punch Dahntay Jones landed on Bismack Biyombo that drew a suspension days before, with the biggest difference being the star power of the perpetrator. Oklahoma City fans have reason to feel wronged and will let Draymond hear it for the rest of the series, but ultimately the game will be better with Draymond out there (partly because of the boos’ entertainment value).
The NBA would never want to suspend a player like Draymond over one play (of course, now that he’s out of flagrants for the rest of the playoffs, his next will be an automatic suspension), but they got caught trying to play tough with Jones’ hit. Without that precedent throwing the Green play in stark relief, this conversation never would have had the same legs.
