2016 NBA Finals - Game 5: Warriors' Draymond Green Suspended After Fourth Flagrant Foul; Who Will Win Cavs vs Golden State? [POLL]
Cavs Need to Capitalize on Green's Absence to Stay in the Finals Series
Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green will not play for the NBA Finals Game 5 after he was handed a Flagrant 1 foul for hitting LeBron James on the groin towards the end of Game 4 last Friday.
During the scuffle, James stepped on Green while the latter was guarding him prompting the Warriors player to retaliate, NBA.com reported. The league's executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said the NBA cannot accept such act from players. This is Green's fourth flagrant foul which is equivalent to a one-game suspension.
He was earlier slapped with a $25,000 fine and Flagrant 2 foul when he kicked Oklahoma City Thunder player Steven Adama in the groin during the Western Conference finals. He also threw Houston Rockets' Michael Beasley on the ground when the playoffs was just starting and was tagged for a Flagrant 1 foul.
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For his teammate Andrew Bogut, the NBA may have based their decision on the previous record of Green. "When they reviewed it, that's probably what helped them get to their decision," Bogut added.
The Warriors center claimed that the team does not put the blame on Green for playing the way he usually does. Bogut recognized that the power forward's play is grounded on this strategy.
With Green's absence, Golden State of Mind said the Warriors would need to replace him in the starting lineup with either Andre Iguodala or Brandon Rush. Iguodala may be the best man especially when it comes to providing defense for the team. The shooting guard was the NBA Finals MVP last year.
Having Iguodala as one of the first five is expected to provide the Warriors with the leverage they need to win the game and a back-to-back championship. Of course, Warriors coach Steve Kerr would utilize every useful talent he has on the tieam to win.
On the other hand, the Cavs are expected to capitalize on the absence of Green from the Warriors lineup. Cleveland.com highlighted that the suspended player is a big contributor to the Warriors with an average of 14.8 points and 9.3 rebounds. He is also an excellent defensive player especially against big players from Cleveland like James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.
Game 5 is a must-win match for the Cavs for this finals series because one more loss will mean another championship won by the Warriors. They will play at the Oracle Arena with the game beginning at 9 p.m. ABC will televise the it live and streaming is also available through ABC Live.
