Ni VT ROMANO
WALANG suspensyon at multa lang ang ipinataw ng Golden State Warriors kay Draymond Green sa pananapak sa kakamping si Jordan Poole.
Matapos ang preseason win kontra Portland Trail Blazers (131-98), sinabi ni head coach Steve Kerr, makababalik na si Green sa team practice sa Huwebes (Biyernes sa Manila) at makalalaro na rin kontra Denver Nuggets sa Biyernes ng gabi sa huling preseason game ng defending champions. Gayundin sa season opener sa Martes laban sa Los Angeles Lakers.
Nag-usap-usap sina Kerr, general manager Bob Myers at mga manlalaro, maging sina Green at Poole kaugnay sa kontrobersya.
“We feel like we have a great feel for our team. We’ve got a lot of continuity on this team, so Bob and I know our players extremely well,” pahayag ni Kerr. “We feel like this is the best way after assessing everything for us to move forward.
“It’s never easy no matter what decision you make in a situation like this. It’s not going to be perfect. This is the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had since I’ve been coach here. It’s really serious stuff.”
Ayon sa ulat, ilang beses na rin nagkita sina Green at Poole matapos ang insidenteng naganap sa praktis noong nakaraang linggo.
Si two-time MVP Stephen Curry ang nanguna, ayon kay Kerr, sa mga pag-uusap na naganap.
“We have spent the last week in deep discussions with all of our key figures in the organization, including Jordan and Draymond of course, Steph, all of our players, Bob, myself, and I can tell you there have been a lot of conversations, individual, one-on-one discussions, players-only discussions,” paliwanag ni Kerr.
Dagdag niya: “Everything that you can think of, all the different combinations that are possible to have in a conversation, we’ve had them. It’s been an exhaustive process.”
Buhat nang mangyari ang panununtok ni Green kay Poole, dumistansya muna ang una sa team at mag-isang nagwo-workout araw-araw.
Ang veteran presence at defensive leadership ni Green ay bahagi ng four championships (sa walong season) ng Golden State Warriors.
“Any criticism that we face here is fair,” wika pa ni Kerr hinggil sa naging desisyon ng team at lahat aniya’y sumang-ayon sa parusang iginawad kay Green.
Matatandaang isang video ang inilabas ng TMZ noong Biyernes, kung saan makikitang nilapitan ni Green si Poole sa baseline ng court at itinulak ng huli ang una na gumanti ng suntok.
“He broke our trust with this incident but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because I think he’s earned that, and I think our team feels the same way,” ani Kerr, na umaming pinaiimbestigahan ng management kung paanong lumabas ang naturang video.
SIMMONS, BAWAL
‘PABEBE’ SA NETS
NAGING malaking isyu kay Ben Simmons ang shooting niya. Ito rin ang naging dahilan kung bakit siya nagpa-trade mula sa Philadelphia 76ers papuntang Brooklyn Nets.
Hindi lang si Nets’ Coach Steve Nash kundi maging si superstar Kevin Durant ang nag-i-encourage kay Simmons maging agresibo sa laro at ‘just keep shooting.’
“Just trust in him, pass him the ball when he’s open, tell him to be aggressive. I mean, I don’t do too much. Like I said, I’m not here to be babysitting anybody. Ben knows that if he’s got a time to be aggressive, go be aggressive. Who gives a [expletive] if you make it or miss it? We just like you being aggressive, and he tells me the same thing,” mahabang pahayag ni Durant sa panayam ng Clutch Points.
Sa preseason game noong Miyerkules (Huwebes sa Manila), nagpakita ng strong performance si Simmons sa 107-97 win ng Nets kontra Milwaukee Bucks.
May seven points, 10 assists, eight rebounds at two steals si Simmons sa laro, bukod pa sa ‘excellent defense’ na ginawa.
2 BIGS NG SIXERS
BAGSAK SA HORNETS
BINALOT ng takot ang final preseason game ng Philadelphia, 99-94 panalo kontra Charlotte Hornets, nang dalawa sa big man ng Sixers ay magkabanggaan at parehong namilipit sa sakit.
Bumangga si Joel Embiid kay PJ Tucker sa second quarter mula sa defensive possession. Bumangon si Embiid hawak ang mukha, na matatandaang nagkaroon ng facial fracture at concussion sa nakaraang season playoffs.
“I’m feeling OK,” lahad ni Embiid. “I’m still working my way back. I’ve had an on-and-off summer as far as really being able to do stuff on the basketball court, but I got four or five days to be ready and I’ll be ready.”
Makasasagupa ng Sixers sa season opener ang Boston Celtics sa Oktubre 18 at medyo nakaramdam din ng pangamba si Coach Doc Rivers sa nangyari kina Embiid at Tucker.
“I didn’t see it,” panimula ni Rivers. “I just saw him (PJ) and Joel on the floor. That’s never a good sight in a preseason game, but they both seem to be fine, so we’re good there.”
Sa iba pang preseason game results: Tinalo ng Miami Heat ang New Orleans Pelicans, 120-103; wagi ang Indiana Pacers sa New York Knicks, 109-100; at Cleveland Cavaliers kontra Atlanta Hawks, 105-99.
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