Stephen A. takes issue with certain Draymond situation responses originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Stephen A. Smith has a problem with Kevon Looney and Andre Iguodala‘s responses to the Draymond Green-Jordan Poole altercation.
On Wednesday’s episode of “First Take,” the ESPN analyst passionately shared why he took offense to how Looney and Iguodala acted in the wake of their teammates’ dust-up.
“Kevon Looney’s saying, ‘We should be trusted’ is an issue,” Smith said loudly. “I have some issue with what Andre Iguodala, and the way he was acting about it or whatever. He didn’t hit you, OK?”
Moreover, Smith asserted that Green should have been suspended and understands why the 32-year-old forward apologized to Poole and the Warriors. Smith also made it a point to mention Green’s mental state at the time of the incident.
“He had personal stuff going on, the team knows that, that doesn’t excuse his behavior, it doesn’t absolve him from it,” Smith continued. “He should be away from the team, he should have been suspended.”
Of note, Green was not suspended, though he was fined an undisclosed amount, and is expected to be available for the Warriors’ 2022-23 NBA season opener on Oct. 18 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center. Additionally, Poole and other Warriors teammates felt it was “unnecessary” to levy a suspension on Green, hence the fine.
Ultimately, Smith’s annoyance comes from the fact that other players are “chirping” and “lending credence” to the fact that Green might have anger issues. Smith concludes by putting the blame on the players for pushing Green to the limit, despite knowing what was going on behind the scenes.
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In all, while pundits might share their opinions on the matter, what matters is how the Warriors deal with the situation. As it stands, it appears as if everything slowly is mending itself as Looney has mentioned that Green is working to repair and regain the trust of his teammates.
Until the season formally starts and the team quells any talk of the altercation, it appears that Green and Poole’s kerfuffle will remain a topic of conversation.