To some NBA observers, the Warriors have devolved from a charming bunch in the aw-shucks persona of Stephen Curry to a group of incessant whiners, a notion not lost on GM Bob Myers.
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With 35 technical fouls so far this season, Golden State is tied with the Suns for the most in the league. Draymond Green (shocker!) leads the NBA with 14 technicals, and Kevin Durant — as if his decision to join the already-stacked Dubs wasn’t enough to stir up fan resentment — is second with 11 and has been ejected from four games this season.
The behavioral situation seemed to reach a crescendo Wednesday (AEDT), when the Warriors were hit with five technicals and Green was ejected in a 125-105 loss at home to the Thunder.
After that display — and in context of the entire season — Myers sat down with the team before Friday's game against the Mavericks to discuss this on-court conduct, NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
“They’ve worked very hard as individuals to cultivate a reputation that I think is mostly appreciated out there, certainly in our local market,” Myers said, per the report. “Beyond that, through their play and their character, their demeanor, the way Steve coaches, the way they share. I said that we need to work to protect that and acknowledge it. But that takes care to sustain that.”
Myers added, “Hopefully, they remembered it for more than five minutes and they hung on to it. But you never know. It seems like they were listening a little bit.”
Not too closely, evidently, as Green picked up his 14th technical for complaining about a delay of game warning during Golden State’s 121-103 win over Dallas. He’s now two away from a one-game suspension.
Said coach Steve Kerr, who has been slapped with five Ts of his own, “I’m as guilty as anybody.”
Likable or not, the Warriors are rolling again, owning the best record in the NBA (42-13) and primed to claim their third title in the last four seasons. Still, the feeling within the organization is they should do better.
“We all need to do a better job of staying poised. I don’t like the look of the constant complaining, myself included. We have to get better with that,” Kerr said.
“We need to represent our team in a better light.”