Draymond Green Making Waves Midway Through Season

Draymond Green seems to be finding his rhythm as the NBA season progresses.

The season kicked off on Tuesday night with Green’s Golden State Warriors heading to Los Angeles to face the Lakers. Initially, Green was in the starting lineup, but he was substituted for Al Horford with just over five minutes left in the first quarter. While sitting on the bench, he witnessed the referee miss a basket interference call on the Lakers, which he, unsurprisingly, reacted to quite dramatically.

Referee Ed Malloy was apparently unable to overlook the situation and handed Green a technical foul, marking the 132nd of his career. This places him as the 20th all-time in the NBA’s history for technical fouls. For context, Karl Malone’s record stands at 200, likely making him a tough competitor to surpass.

Last season, Green accumulated a total of 18 technical fouls, ranking third in the league, just behind Anthony Edwards and Dillon Brooks. It’s worth noting that accruing 16 technicals results in an automatic one-game suspension. In terms of scoring, Green had an impressive 21 points average during the previous season, placing him among the top scorers.

Interestingly, he’s been in the top 10 for technical fouls every season, save for one, since 2014-15, having led the league three times.

Despite some early challenges in the game, Green contributed significantly with seven rebounds and nine assists, tying with Jimmy Butler for a game-leading plus-20 rating on the floor.

In a noteworthy finish, five of Green’s eight points were scored in the fourth quarter, along with two blocks and two late assists. Ultimately, the Warriors emerged victorious, defeating a Lakers team missing LeBron James with a final score of 119-109. LeBron is set to start his record-breaking 23rd NBA season soon.