Warriors Star Not Suspended After Viral Incident, Set To Rejoin Team This Week

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green made headlines for the wrong reasons this offseason, and it now appears that he will not be missing any significant amount of time.

ESPN's Kendra Andrews reported that Green will return to the Warriors on Thursday, October 13 and "has been fined but not suspended" by the Warriors, with the touted court defender reportedly being available to play in their final preseason game this Friday, October against the Denver Nuggets via head coach Steve Kerr.

The consensus belief among most NBA fans on the forums and social media is that Green's actions warranted a suspension since it is not everyday that punching and subsequently dropping one's teammate were a normal occurrence during practice.

However, the Warriors' front office and upper management believe that fining Green was the right course of action this time around.

Fans were understandably upset with the decision and questioned how the Warriors came to this conclusion with many fans saying that it was ridiculous for a player to punch his teammate and practically get away with a slap on the wrist.

There is no doubt among Warriors and basketball fans that Green has played an enormous role in the franchise's rise to becoming a dynasty since being drafted 35th overall in the 2012 draft.

Kerr utilizing Green's defense-first instincts to serve as their anchor turned out to be the best thing for the franchise as he could hold his own against the bigger and more physical centers in the league while also having the mobility of a small forward.

Green becoming a small-ball center eventually led to the Warriors' core of Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes becoming popularly known as "The Death Lineup" before the latter was replaced by Kevin Durant.

But with their core four fighting off the pangs of Father Time, they have since come to rely on the skills of younger players like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, whom Green decked, to carry the offense.

With a championship under their belts together, there is no doubt that the Warriors can get their act together before the season begins.

However, the team's chemistry, particularly that of Green and Poole, will surely be the big question heading into the season.

Green and Poole are set for contract extensions in the summer of 2023, and fans and experts alike are intrigued as to how the Warriors' management led by Bob Myers will handle such talks.

For now, the pair will need to kiss and make up if the Warriors want a shot at going back-to-back this season.