Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said a “misunderstanding” triggered last Monday’s heated exchange with forward Draymond Green, describing the incident during an appearance this week on The Tom Tolbert Show.
“Draymond was talking to the refs and I had called a timeout because I thought we lost our focus,” Kerr explained. “I wasn’t mad at him … I started yelling his name to get him to the huddle. He thought I was upset about a turnover, we both said something snarky, and suddenly we were yelling at each other.”
Kerr acknowledged that he should have served as the “calming force” in the moment. Green left for the locker room and did not return that night, but both parties downplayed the confrontation afterward. The veteran forward has resumed his usual minutes since the episode.
Roster and injury notes
Forward Jonathan Kuminga, expected to play Friday after a two-week absence, was held out with late-developing lower-back soreness. Kerr said the issue surfaced pre-game and its duration is uncertain, raising the possibility that the fifth-year forward may not appear again before he becomes trade-eligible on Jan. 15.
Kerr added that Green will be available Saturday against Utah after resting Friday, and he is “hopeful” guard Stephen Curry (ankle) can also return. Jimmy Butler, sidelined by illness, is considered day-to-day.
Facing the defending champion Thunder on Friday, Golden State fell 37 points short in what Kerr characterized as a strategic move to rest veterans ahead of games the team views as more winnable. “When you have an older team, you have to navigate [the schedule] as best you can,” the coach said.
Melton reflects on last season’s trade
Guard De’Anthony Melton, who re-signed with the Warriors over the summer on a minimum deal after tearing his ACL, told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dubs Talk podcast he harbored no resentment about being traded following the injury. “Given what my contract was, the mid-level, that’s a serviceable player,” Melton said. “With me going down and the dip the team took, I understood … I told them, ‘Honestly, I would trade me, too.’”
Source: Hoops Rumors
