Draymond
Green wants to know why he keeps getting technical fouls for yelling
One can understand how Draymond Green finds himself
under an officiating crew’s microscope, what with his repeated blows to
the groins of Thunder center Steven
Adamsand Cavaliers star LeBron James in the 2016 NBA Playoffs, the
latter of which may have cost his Warriors a title this past June.
But when referees whistled Green for a technical foul
after he yelled in the direction of Spurs forward LaMarcus
Aldridge during the
season opener, the returning All-NBA Second Team selection vowed, “Next time I dunk, I’m gonna yell again.” That
promise apparently applied to blocked shots as well.
With two minutes to play in the first half of Thursday
night’s much-anticipated Western Conference finals rematch
between Golden State and Oklahoma City, only with Kevin
Durant in California
now, Green and Durant teamed up for a block of Thunder rival Russell
Westbrook. An excited Green yelled in Wesbrook’s direction, and an
official standing a few feet away whistled him for another technical.
As Green laughed and called for more noise from the
Oakland crowd, Westbrook missed the ensuing free throw, and Green was
still jawing with nobody in particular. Stephen
Currystole the Thunder’s next possession, and the Warriors proceeded
to push their 18-point lead to 25 by the end of the half.
No harm, but there was a foul — Green’s second technical
of the season, both for yelling. What he yelled cannot be overheard, although
Green contends the word in question was nothing but “ahhh.”
“I got two techs this year for yelling,
‘Ahhh’?” he told ESPN.com. “At this point, do I need to
wear a mask? Am I allowed to show emotion on the floor? That’s who I am. I play
with emotion.
“I love this game, so I’m going to show
emotion. But if you yell, ‘Ahhh,’ after a dunk … I’ve never seen anyone get a
tech for that.”
Green joins DeMarcus
Cousins, Andrew
Bogut, Jae Crowder and Marquese Chriss as the only players with
multiple techs through the season’s first 10 days. Since assuming a full-time
starting role in 2014-15, he’s remained in the NBA’s top six for techs each
season, amassing 11 two years ago and 13 in 2015-16. Only Dwight Howard has
more postseason technicals (10) than Green (8) in the last two years.
“At a certain point, you kind of get a reputation and
you’re judged off that reputation,” Green added after Thursday’s 122-96 win. “I think
I’ve gotten a reputation for arguing calls. That’s what I got techs for [last
season]. I understand that. Now I don’t argue calls, so why am I getting techs
for yelling?”
By the NBA rulebook’s definition, “a technical foul
may be assessed to any player on the court or anyone seated on the bench for
conduct which, in the opinion of an official, is detrimental to the game.” So,
while the “use of profanity” and “taunting” are listed as specific
examples, officials have considerable leeway in assessing technicals.
Still, Green can lobby the league to rescind the calls.
“I look forward to getting an
explanation on the first and the second one,” Green responded to ESPN.com.
“You can’t yell after a good play? So I’m looking for an explanation for both.
I think they both should get rescinded. They said I was disrespecting the
referees.
“All right, I’m not talking to them no
more. But now you want to give me a tech for yells? It’s not like I’m standing
in someone’s face yelling.”
It’s entirely possible officials are cracking down on
Green in hopes of curbing behavior that became a nuisance during the playoffs
this past spring, and it’s also entirely possible Green will not curb the
behavior at all. Meanwhile, he faces $2,000 fines for each technical up to
five, $3,000 for techs 6-10, $4,000 up to 15 and a one-game suspension plus a
$5,000 fine for technical foul No. 16. After that, each additional tech comes
with a $5,000 fine and every two results in another one-game suspension.
It’s a good thing he began budgeting for all those fines after
signing his $82 million deal last summer.
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