Getty Image / Thearon W Henderson
The Golden State Warriors’ NBA title defense came to an end in disappointing fashion last night.
They dominated by the Lakers in a game that they trailed the whole way after a slow start.
They ended up losing the game 122-101 to be eliminated from the playoffs.
With the team now out of the playoffs, it seems it is finally time to hear about an incident from before the start of the season.
The biggest moment in the Warriors’ season was when Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole, knocking him out.
There hasn’t been much said about the incident since, but this week that changed a bit.
Jordan Poole finally commented on the punch while speaking to ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne this week.
This was never going to be the Warriors’ “Last Dance.” But there are reasons this team never came together and they begin with the punch that nearly tore them apart in training camp. “I don’t speak on it much,” Jordan Poole told ESPN. “But… https://t.co/WuHHCfj9sJ
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) May 13, 2023
“I don’t speak on it much,” Poole told ESPN this week. “But I will say that … you’ve got to have a different level of maturity.
“We had a season to play. You’re going to have to play with these people in the locker room, and that’s why I said maturity is a big thing. What I know for a fact is there aren’t many people who would be able to think logically and understand the magnitude of the situation, you know?”
It’s impossible to know what impact that punch had on the team this season, but it could have a big impact on their roster for next season.
The Warriors have some big decisions to make following their playoff exit. One of those is what to do with Draymond Green, who has a player option for 2023-24 and it is unclear if the Warriors will make a long-term commitment to him.
In the series against the Lakers, Green became a bit of a liability on the offensive end when playing at the same time as Kevon Looney.
Now they’ll have to decide whether they are still in win-now mode or if they are looking to the future and if Draymond and Poole can coexist.
With Draymond’s future with the team not decided yet, that punch could loom large during the offseason.