Draymond Green elbows his way closer to a suspension

Green got his fifth technical foul of the playoffs in his ninth game when he struck Naz Reid in the head with his flailing arms. He’s two flagrants or two technicals away from a suspension.

Draymond Green is known for his extensive history of flagrant and technical fouls during the NBA playoffs. But during this year’s postseason run, he’s developed a new twist on his old chestnuts: Committing technical fouls while being fouled himself.

For the second time in these playoffs, Green responded to being fouled by hitting a dude in the head. Thursday night, it was Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid who got whistled for a foul on Green. This year’s third-place Defensive Player of the Year finisher responded by flailing his arms wildly, which just happened to lead to his elbow connecting with Reid’s face.

It’s very similar to a play from Game 7 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, where Fred VanVleet committed a reach-in foul, and Green responded by flailing his arms, and coincidentally landing a blow to VanVleet’s head.

It’s really unfortunate that Green has an uncontrollable reflex to touch fouls that force his elbows to spasm, his fingers to clench into fists, and his legs to uncontrollably fly in the air in the direction of his closest opponent’s groin area. But the NBA referees haven’t been sympathetic to this medical condition, slapping him with five technical fouls and two flagrants in the playoffs so far, though zero ejections.

We can expect this issue to be discussed at length on his podcast, but Green definitely expressed his feelings about the officials afterward.

Now Green is two technicals away from a suspension, and two flagrants away from a suspension as well. Not that the Warriors are short on players or anything!

Let’s hope the Warriors medical staff can get Green some help with his flailing-limb issues before it’s too late. Until then, he might have to simply respond to fouls by calmly accepting free throws and politely discussing his feelings with referees. Can you imagine the indignity?