New details on Green-Poole saga show how damaged the relationship was
By Cory Nelson
In the 2022 offseason, one of the biggest stories was the drama that took place in a practice held by the Golden State Warriors. On Oct. 5, a video went viral via TMZ of forward Draymond Green and now Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole getting into an altercation, ultimately resulting in Green punching Poole.
Due to the lack of audio in the video, many are left wondering what was said that led up to the situation.
Well, NBA insider Pablo Torre might have an answer.
On Sept. 29, a video went viral of his podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out. In the video, Torre explained what went down on that day and said Poole questioned Green’s value on the team.
“‘You’re an expensive backpack for 30’ is what was said, is what Jordan Poole told Draymond Green that got him punched in the ****** face,” Torre said.
If Poole really said that, he might have a good reason to do so. Despite his high basketball IQ, Green has faced criticism for years now. On July 9, 2015, he signed a five-year contract worth $82 million. He then signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension on Aug. 3, 2019, but many wonder if he’s really worth it.
Since signing his extension, Green averaged only seven points and seven rebounds a game. Granted, his defense never diminished as he made the All-Defensive Team in 2021, 2022, and 2023. However, he only finished top five in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice (2021 and 2023). Regardless of his defensive abilities, his impact on winning championships decreased. When the Warriors won the 2022 title against the Boston Celtics, he only averaged eight points in those playoffs. Superstars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson relied on Poole to help them out as he was the Warriors’ third scoring leader.
To make the case even stronger, it was recently announced that Green would miss four to six weeks of the upcoming season due to an ankle injury.
In spite of everything, it’s safe to say that the infamous event had an incredibly large impact on the Warriors. Last season, they finished as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and had trouble competing in the postseason. They barely defeated a young Sacramento Kings team in the first round, needing Curry to score 50 points to secure a Game 7 victory. Then, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Semifinals 4-2.
It was the first time they made the playoffs but failed to make a Western Conference Finals appearance since 2014 when Mark Jackson was head coach.
The quarrel also had an effect this offseason. Without a doubt, it’s the primary reason Poole will be suiting up in a Wizards jersey this year. With both Green and Poole admitting their relationship will never be the same, the Warriors’ front office saw the tension between them and had to make a business move. On July 6, 2023, they traded Poole to Washington and elected to keep Green, who has been the cornerstone for the Golden State franchise and will most likely retire as a Warrior.
Even though Poole was basically forced out of San Francisco, fans in D.C. are excited to see him on a young Wizards team.
