Draymond Green made it clear on Friday night that he’s not trying to bait Rajon Rondo into anything. Rondo, the New Orleans Pelicans’ guard, might not necessarily agree. But as the Pelicans won Game 3 in New Orleans and got back in their series against the Golden State Warriors, the minor scuffles between the two players drew a technical foul on Rondo after it appeared that he tried to trip Green during a stoppage in play.
Steve Kerr spoke about Rondo’s “tactics” on Saturday after the Game 3 loss and said it’s not uncommon for players to try getting under the skin of his guys, but that doesn’t mean he condones it.
Steve Kerr on Rajon Rondo’s tactics pic.twitter.com/kcdvhX9iz7
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) May 5, 2018
“I think Draymond’s done a good job of handling his business,” Kerr said. “Rondo’s a competitor. So they’re competing. I don’t see anything wrong with it other than the tripping. You can’t do that.”
Rondo’s stance here is simple: He needs to show the Warriors that New Orleans are not “pushovers.”
“We are not a pushover. We are here to fight”
Rondo on exchanging pleasantries with Green #doitBIGGER #NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/nGXC7zPuZK
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 5, 2018
Some other folks on Twitter pointed out that Rondo may have been making a play for Steph Curry’s ankle at another point during the game.
is Rondo putting his leg where Steph would land? pic.twitter.com/ygsmKgsRGz
— , (@dbs408) May 5, 2018
But the bit, which Rondo is really good at, isn’t going to work according to Green. He reiterated that he’s not being baited by at Rondo in this series, though. He’s yet to get a technical foul this postseason, and he knows the attention he can create if that trend changes. He told the media after the loss that he knows what Rondo is up to, but he’s not falling for it because he’s not stupid.
Draymond Green on how he's avoiding technical fouls during confrontations with Rajon Rondo and the #Pelicans: "I'm not an idiot, that's for sure. I see what they're trying to accomplish a mile away. I'm not dumb. That's about it." pic.twitter.com/yIfOyR5xhr
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 5, 2018
The Green/Rondo matchup has been fascinating because Rondo has zeroed in on Green’s temper as a potential weakness for the Warriors, while Green is determined not to be that weakness. But while Anthony Davis cooks for the Pelicans, Rondo has been free to needle in the unique way only he can.
It worked for the most part on Friday night, and it might be key to New Orleans getting back in this series. But the Warriors — and the officials — will certainly be prepared for whatever Rondo might do on the floor.
