Steve Kerr gets tired of Draymond Green's ejections: "We need him"

Draymond Green found himself at the center of controversy once again. The Golden State Warriors forward was ejected on Saturday night, this time at the end of the second quarter, after a heated protest against the officiating during the game against the Utah Jazz. This marks his second ejection in just two weeks, in a stretch of the season where each of his actions is under scrutiny.

Despite this, Golden State managed to come out on top 123-114, improving their record to 19-17.

The sequence that unfolded began when Green was guarding Kyle Filipowski, who drove to the baseline and got stuck without dribble under the basket. Green trapped him, trying to force a mistake, and while doing so, he started insistently demanding a defensive three-second violation from referee Simone Jelks.

Amid the play, Lauri Markkanen finished Utah's possession with a dunk, triggering even more frustration in Green, who voiced his dissatisfaction again. This reaction led to his first technical foul.

However, the situation did not end there. After the initial whistle, Green directed more words at referee Kevin Cutler. That was enough for the second technical foul to be called, resulting in the automatic ejection of the Golden State player.

Reactions Inside the Locker Room

Stephen Curry admitted after the game that, for him and much of the team, the decision was excessive: "I don't know what he said to the ref," he commented. "But I think the consensus in the locker room was that there wasn't enough to warrant the ejection."

With this ejection, Green now tallies 22 ejections in regular season throughout his career, in addition to picking up his ninth technical of the current season. If he reaches 16, he will be suspended for one game.

Steve Kerr, on his part, was clear about what Green means to the team: "We need Draymond. I want him out there. We need him."

The ejection adds to a particularly turbulent period for the player. Just last December 20th, he was also ejected in the match against Phoenix, and in the following game, he argued with Kerr on the sidelines before leaving the game in the third quarter.

Interestingly, recent data shows a striking trend: the Warriors were trailing 58-48 when Green was ejected, but from that moment onward, they recorded a positive run of +19 and ended up winning. A similar scenario unfolded in the matches against the Suns and Magic, where the team also reacted positively after his early exit.

Jimmy Butler summed up the general sentiment regarding the player's importance... and the danger of normalizing these situations: "That's not the formula. No, no, no, no, no. We need a '23' out there."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Steve Kerr se cansa de las expulsiones de Draymond Green: "Le necesitamos"