Crazy-Canuck wrote:Romulus wrote:The-Power wrote:Haven't listened to Draymond's most recent press conference because I can't stomach hearing him talk right now, but from the bits and pieces that were quoted from it, it does not seem like he feels any genuine remorse, is willing to take full accountability for his actions, and can handle the current contract situation going forward (which, in his mind, may serve as an excuse to blame the FO for problems that he causes – which would not be the first time, see the blame he and KD put on the FO for how they handled the altercation with KD).
If he's not on his absolute best behavior now, I hope they trade him – mid-season if necessary – even if that hurts our chances to compete for a title. I don't want to be rooting for a guy who constantly misbehaves and yet will not make any genuine effort to hold himself accountable and change for the better, and instead continues to be passive-aggressive or outright aggressive when things don't go his way. The apology was cringeworthy already, and from what I caught of his most recent press conference, it was even worse this time.
Same here -- can't stomach watching the press conference. Just seeing and hearing his voice makes me ill at the moment. Why is he even talking? I mean, Poole has been as silent as the grave and yet there's Draymond just talking and talking. The clip of him saying he doesn't understand people using the word trust? I mean, really? He doesn't get how Looney and the rest of the team feels he's going to have to earn their trust back?
And then I saw the clip where he talked about having a lingering contract issue and how that can cause issues? Is that a threat that he's going to cause more trouble unless he signs a deal?
This guy is no leader; he's a fraud. I think all the young guys on the team realize it. A roster that's very likely divided at the moment.
Also, he again mentioned Lebron. Geez. He does seem to want to wind up in LA, doesn't he. Question I have, what would be a doable trade with the Lakers that would actually help the Warriors?
I can think of several guys I'd like to have on that team but I don't know what it would take in order to make salaries match. Anyone have a suggestion for trade between the two teams?
I'm just sick of the guy and ready to move on. Honestly, Draymond was very inconsistent in last year's playoffs (seemed more interested in his podcast). If they keep Draymond I really think he'll do more harm than good -- he's just that type of guy when he's unhappy and he'll be if he doesn't get a new contract.
He's not name dropping bron/lakers without reason. That's as good a plan as dray could ask for should he not be in gs.
And they will have money with westbrook expiring.
I understood his Lebron and Curry contract name drop differently. They are two parts of the current(or prior) triumvirate of championship superstars, the third being KD. Draymond mentioned the first two without mentioning the third because he is still litigating his beef with KD from KD's final season.
Draymond's stance has always been that his beef with KD was that KD wouldn't discuss his impending FA with his teammates. Draymond wanted either a commitment that KD would re-sign or an admission that he was going to want to go elsewhere but KD refused to speak on it. KD treated his teammates the same way he treated the media and public by not divulging and that infuriated Draymond. In Draymond's mind it hung like a cloud over the locker room and hurt team morale.
And it seems like it did indeed hurt team morale. KD was withdrawn and distant from the team compared to the prior two seasons, it made that season more difficult and the team was arguably the worst version of itself that season. Kerr, Myers and David West have all alluded to it.
But KD still had every right to keep mum, he doesn't owe anyone, including his teammates, an explanation even if it does hurt team chemistry. And every Warrior, so far as I can tell, respected that except for Draymond.
Fast forward to today and Draymond is frustrated he's not getting the attention from the FO regarding a new contract that he thinks he deserves. To make matters worse, they're openly giving that attention to Poole regarding his extension. Which is making Poole downright giddy, doing his little dances and shimmies, flashing that Billy Dee Williams smile everywhere and it all serves to infuriate Draymond and understandably so. Draymond is jealous. It's not justifiable that he's jealous, but from an emotional standpoint, it's understandable.
I suspect this is what the punch was all about. Draymond snapped because he's jealous and Poole didn't have the sense of decorum to contain his glee at being on the cusp of getting what Draymond wants. And I get that too, Poole's a kid about to get paid generational money, it would be tough for anyone to contain that excitement. The onus is fully on Draymond to contain his irritation. But he didn't, he messed up and I suspect all this was talked about in detail between him and Poole with Steph in the roll of therapist, walking them through their emotions.
And in that context everything Draymond said makes perfect sense. He's not
technically jealous of Poole's bag, he absolutely wants Poole to get his and thinks he deserves every dollar of it. He's upset that he's not getting paid what he feels he deserves while others are.
His last press conference indicated to me that he's accepted all that and is in the right headspace to deal with it. He's grudgingly accepted that he needs to go out and play a great season to get what he wants and at the end of the day he might not get it from the Warriors. Him talking about Lebron and Steph was him saying, like those guys, he wasn't going to let his contract dissatisfaction get in the way of him being a great teammate
in contrast to KD who handled his impending free agency poorly...at least according to Draymond's thinking.
So I think the result of all of this is essentially positive because provided Draymond can keep his eyes on the prize, which is a great season from him and another trophy, Draymond will get paid in some way approaching what he feels he deserves.
