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After news broke that Draymond Green had been issued a flagrant foul and LeBron James a technical for their altercation late in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, many have started saying that this ruling is both unfair and biased to LeBron James.
Here is why I disagree with such an assertion.
First, I would like to say that this article is not concerned with what this means for the Finals and how this will help the Cavaliers. Nor is it a commentary on what the rules should be in terms of fouls for the league. I am merely stating, in the context of the rules that are currently in place for the NBA, how Draymond Green’s Flagrant 1 and subsequent suspension is fair.
I will preface my argument with a short description of what actually happened during the play.
It’s late in the fourth quarter; LeBron James and Draymond Green become tangled in a play as Green hits the ground. James steps over Green in what was deemed a display of disrespect by Green and he reacts accordingly by lashing out with a shot to the groin, rising to his feet and then subsequently flailing a jab that missed LeBron.
What ensued was a verbal altercation and very physical play on behalf of both players.
I would like to unpack this. There is no doubt in my mind that Green supposed groin shot to LeBron was completely unintentional but it deserved a flagrant. Green was flailing his arms in anger and I do not believe that Green was trying to hit LeBron in the groin.
The NBA considers a foul flagrant “when it involves excessive or violent contact that could injure the fouled player. A flagrant foul may be unintentional or purposeful.”
Anyway you look at this, Draymond Green’s original shot to the groin of LeBron was violent contact that could have injured him. Green lashed out at another man’s groin – there is no way that such an act could conceivably be anything other than violent.
Whether you think LeBron deserved the shot for walking over Green or not is irrelevant as the contact was violent and posed risk to LeBron; Green’s actions on this play could not be considered anything other than flagrant.
Many have assumed that Green is being suspended merely on the basis of this one play. That is simply not the case. Green’s foul count over the course of these playoffs has reached a point in which a one game suspension is mandated by the league.
His suspension is based upon his foul count throughout the entire playoffs and this foul is just one part of the overarching problem. To think that Green has been suspended just for this play is wrong.
In the first round of the playoffs, on the 21st of April, Green threw Houston’s Michael Beasley to the floor, the play wasn’t whistled at the time but on review, the league assessed the play to be worthy of a Flagrant 1 for Green. On the 22nd of May, during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams was kicked in the groin by Green’s flailing leg. Originally the play was ruled a Flagrant 1 but upon review by the league, it was upgraded to a Flagrant 2.
Leading into this foul then, Green had already amassed three points in the playoffs due to previous flagrant fouls. A fourth point automatically warrants a one-game suspension.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr had some thoughts on this points system, “I do think it’s curious that somebody who gets knocked out in the first round and who’s been on vacation for seven weeks is under the same penalty system as somebody who is still playing in The Finals now,” Kerr said.
“I’m not sure why that is the case. It seems like a strange rule. It’s not anything we’re going to bring up with the league. Maybe it’s something to talk about in the offseason. It does seem a little strange.”
Kerr’s point here seems like one that should be explored. I agree that this is a very curious matter, but with the rules that are currently in place, and the fact that Green was aware that he was one flagrant foul away from suspension, the punishment in this instance is fair.
LeBron deserved a technical for his actions; they were nonviolent but stepping over and enticing Green the way he did and his excessive rhetoric on the court definitely warranted a technical foul.
The difference is that LeBron did not lash out in a violent way that posed a risk of injury to Green, thus it cannot be deemed a Flagrant 1 as Green’s foul was.
The ruling was harsh on Green, but his fouls have accumulated and he has finally paid the price. One could argue that I am merely being biased to LeBron, but all I have done is outline the rules of the league in terms of fouling and applied it to this play.
A Flagrant 1 for Green is the right call. His suspension is just a consequence of this call and a result of him fouling throughout the playoffs.
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