As we prepare for the inevitable 2017 Finals matchup between King James Court and Dub Nations Big Four, people will increasingly start referring to last seasons finals when Golden State had a commanding 3-1 lead before Draymond Green wilded out and got himself suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
His swipe at LeBron James family jewels was his fourth flagrant foul point of the 2016 postseason and earned him a one-game suspension. Everybody knows that swiping at a man’s reproductive organs is grounds for getting the “spit smacked from you.”
Despite Greens costly suspension, he continues to be very vocal, demonstrative and combative on the court. Thats his game. Hes the great antagonist and expect him to try and get into James head as much as he can.
His opponents say theres no place for Greens antics, which tend to cross the line between competitiveness and disrespect. Friday on Sports Nation with Michelle Beadle and Marcellus Wiley, guest host Kenyon Martin offered the perfect recipe for stopping Greens out-of-bounds, ball-swiping behavior: “If somebody just slap spit from him one time…,” Martin, who was as combative and ornery as any player in recent history said.
The dispenser of that swift justice probably should have been one of Green’s Golden State teammates because Green put them in a bad spot.
With less than a breath left in their bodies, Cleveland got the gift it needed and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sent the series back to Cleveland, cutting Golden States series lead to 3-2. And the rest was history.
Green basically blew the series as much as Bron and Kyrie won it for Cleveland. The Cavs were dead in the water and Greens unnecessary antics and personal conflicts cost them back-to-back chips and allowed Cleveland to get back in the series.
Green owes his teammates big time in this time around and he owes it to the fans to not do anything to get himself removed from the game and weaken Golden State.
Too bad these two guys couldnt ever go against each other in the playoffs. It would have been a classic, junkyard dog style battle. I would have loved to see Martin smack the spit out of Green. And I would pay for Greens reaction.
