Getty Evan Fournier, Boston Celtics
After a summer of being at the forefront of media reporting, the Boston Celtics are getting a slight reprieve.
Right now, the Golden State Warriors are the ones garnering all the attention, following the news that Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole during a recent training session, and the subsequent release of the video footage from TMZ.
Since that footage went public, numerous current and former NBA players have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the altercation, with many believing the Warriors will now have to choose between their championship-winning veteran or young sharpshooter.
Former Celtics guard, Evan Fournier is among the players to share their thoughts on the situation – taking to Twitter to note how he doesn’t see a way for Green and Poole to put this behind them and go back to being teammates.
There is no way you can get back to being teammates after a punch like that,” Fournier Tweeted.
There is no way you can get back to being teammates after a punch like that.
Fournier spent half a season with the Celtics during the 2020-21 NBA season, participating in 16 games for the team, with 10 of them coming as a starter. During his time in Boston, Fournier produced averages of 13 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 46.3% three-point shooting and 42.9% shooting from two-point range.
Fournier then joined the New York Knicks as part of a sign-and-trade deal but struggled to show his best form, averaging 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game – the Knicks ended up missing out on a playoff spot and have since looked to round out their roster.
Isaiah Thomas Sounds Off on Draymond Green
Another former Celtic to share his opinion on the Green situation is Isaiah Thomas, the former MVP candidate who captured Celtics fans’ hearts during a three-season spell with the franchise between 2014 and 2016.
On October 7, Thomas shared his thoughts on the footage that showed Green punching Poole during practise, “All I’m saying is you ain’t responding with a PUNCH if that’s somebody you really rock with!!! Especially after a PUSH. But I ain’t in the practice and I didn’t hear what was being said so ima leave that alone but DAMN.”
All I’m saying is you ain’t responding with a PUNCH if that’s somebody you really rock with!!! Especially after a PUSH. But I ain’t in the practice and I didn’t hear what was being said so ima leave that alone but DAMN
Since leaving the Celtics, Thomas has struggled to find a consistent role within the NBA, and as such, has bounced around multiple locker rooms in the league, so he certainly has some experience to draw on when sharing his opinions on the matter. Still, outside of a discussion on Twitter, one can only hope Thomas finds another NBA opportunity for the upcoming season.
Jayson Tatum Jokes With Sam Hauser
Luckily, the Celtics don’t have to concern themselves with any such lockerroom issues, as from what we’ve seen from the team thus far in training camp, they’re a cohesive unit that is looking forward to playing alongside each other in the upcoming season.
Never has their closeness been as apparent, as when Jayson Tatum joked about being responsible for Sam Hauser’s pre-season success, telling the sophomore forward that he should send him a thank-you card.
” I tell him all the time if I was that wide open – if people left me that wide open, and all I had to do was catch and shoot, I would make a lot more shots as well. I tell Sam he should send me a thank you card for being on the floor together. But, Sam is a great shooter, and his game has come a long way. I’m happy for him, I’m happy he’s getting an opportunity and that he’s making the most of it,” Tatum said.
On October 5, Hauser was impressive in his second pre-season game, this time against the Toronto Raptors, converting his perimeter shots at an 80% success rate while averaging 22 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes of gameplay.
With such a close-knit locker room, we can only hope that Boston is well-positioned to deal with all the ups and downs of a full NBA season, but right now, they’re looking every bit the championship contender they were billed as throughout the summer.