The Golden State Warriors are currently facing their toughest opponent of the season: themselves.
Following some late-game drama in the Warriors’ overtime loss to the Clippers on Monday night, star forward Draymond Green was suspended for the Warriors’ Tuesday night win over the Hawks. The drama came following Green’s refusal to pass the ball to Kevin Durant at the end of regulation. (RELATED: Golden State Warriors Have Bold New Ticket Sales Plan. The Idea Is Incredibly Stupid)
The decision to suspend Green was reportedly made by Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, who refused to go into specifics in his post-game press conference last night.
Steve Kerr on if he fears any long-term implications with this Draymond-Kevin incident: “I think we’ll be fine.” pic.twitter.com/5GgVcHc5gY
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 14, 2018
While Kerr also denies this, it’s hard not to speculate that the root of the tension inside the Warriors locker room has to do with Durant’s impending free agency.
Rumors have been swirling around Durant ever since he re-signed a one-year deal in Golden State last summer, and they aren’t going away, especially with LeBron James looking to form a super-team in Los Angeles.
Because of how immensely talented the Warriors are, it is still overwhelmingly likely that Golden State hoists its third straight Larry O’Brien trophy.
However, if the last two days are any indication, the journey there could be filled with pain and distractions.