Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said Ja Morant's one-game suspension validated instincts he shared with Stephen Curry after a recent game. Green noticed Morant's subdued play during the Warriors' 131-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on October 27. The suspension stemmed from conduct detrimental to the team.
On the latest episode of "The Draymond Green Show," Green recounted sensing something off with Morant during the Warriors' win over the Grizzlies. "When we got on that plane I was telling Steph, like, ‘Man, Ja ain’t in it at all. It looked like something happened -- like, it ain’t Ja,’" Green said. He described Morant passing the ball to Cam Spencer and standing in the corner, prompting Curry to remark, “Quiet protest going on, huh?”
A few days later, following Memphis' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Morant deflected questions about his limited minutes, telling reporters to “ask the coaching staff.” The next day, Saturday, the Grizzlies suspended Morant for one game due to "conduct detrimental to the team."
Green viewed the suspension as confirmation of his observations. “When I saw [Ja’s] comments, I found those interesting,” he said, “but all they did was confirm to me what I was watching … and rightfully so, there was something going on.”
Reflecting on team suspensions, Green, who has been suspended six times in 15 NBA seasons, expressed skepticism about their effectiveness. “What I will say is this: I am not a big fan of suspending your top guys," Green said. "As a guy who has been suspended through the years, I don’t think it does much of anything outside of piss the guys off. When you’re talking your first and most important player and you’re suspending that guy, there’s always the possibility of like — there’s no coming back from that."
Green's comments highlight potential tensions in Memphis, with the Grizzlies' ability to keep Morant engaged now in question.