Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors trade deadline deal went awry, but now that the deadline has come and gone, they need to re-focus on their season. They’ve lost two games in a row and are now back down at .500, sitting at 28-28 on the season.
In their Saturday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan Poole picked up his 10th technical foul of the year. After the game, Draymond Green sent a warning to the young star, urging him not to walk that line (a line Green is all too familiar with).
“I don’t want him to walk the line,” Green said via the LetsGoWarriors YouTube channel. “I think I’ve spoke about that before. It’s not really one you wanna walk. It’s a battle you can’t win. But every man is gonna speak for themselves when they feel the need to speak, and I support everybody having their voice if you wanna use it. … It is what it is. He gotta make sure he don’t get to 16 [technicals].”
When an NBA player picks up their 16th technical foul in a season, they not only have to pay a fine but they are also forced to serve a one-game suspension. If Poole were to reach that mark, it would leave an already oft-injured Warriors team even more short-handed.
Green is a great person to learn from when it comes to technicals, as he earns more than most players in the league. In fact, he currently leads the NBA in total technical fouls this season with 14. Poole is second on the Warriors with his 10, and Steph Curry is next on Golden State’s list with five.
Warriors Linked to Gordon Hayward
As far as how the team can look to improve moving forward, one thing to watch out for is the buyout market. They already made their big trade of the season, landing Gary Payton II from the Portland Trail Blazers (despite his injury), but the buyout market could prove to be fruitful, too.
According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, one player they could potentially look to target if he’s bought out is Gordon Hayward of the Charlotte Hornets.
“He’s not a rim protector, nor does he bring muscle to the middle of the action. But he’s a 6-foot-7 floor spacer who offers the kind of high hoops IQ that fits well on a team like the Warriors.
“Hayward, 32, has been a starter his entire career, but it might be time to move to a reserve spot if it means an opportunity for a deep NBA playoff run. Shooting only 29.4 percent beyond the arc on a bad Hornets squad, that number likely will rise on a quality team. He’s a good player on the far side of his prime who could come available,” Poole wrote.
Draymond Green Sounds Off on James Wiseman
However, the Warriors could also look into adding another big man, as they traded James Wiseman at the deadline. On a recent edition of his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, Green sent a message to his now-former teammate.
“Number one, I want to say, to James Wiseman, man, Jimmy Wise, not an ideal start to your NBA career,” Green said. “I mean, not ideal at all. Being moved to the Detroit Pistons gives James an opportunity to restart that. And I think that’s such a beautiful thing. I feel like in this trade, James Wiseman gets what he needs, the Warriors got what they need. James Wiseman needs to go somewhere where he can play, where he can get minutes and reps, and he’s not expected to compete at a championship level. And he did that. Or, they did that – it’s happening for him in going to Detroit, where you’re with a bunch of other young guys who [are] going to make a ton of mistakes. And you just get to play through those mistakes and learn through those mistakes, because as we know, in life, experience is life’s greatest teacher. So for James Wiseman to go to a situation where he will have the opportunity to play and play through mistakes. It’s great for him, because he’s super talented, super skilled, but just [hasn’t] had the reps.”
