Draymond Got Ejected For That?
If you watched the game yesterday, you know which play I’m talking about
In the last minutes of the second quarter, the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green was handed a Flagrant-2 after fouling the Memphis Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke and was automatically ejected.
After Green was tossed out like Jazz from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, commentators and analysts all asked if it was the right call and the majority were in unison -they believed that a Flagrant-2 was too harsh of a call.
Stephen A. Smith, during the half-time show, criticized the referees for the call, saying that it was “utterly ridiculous.”
He even went as far as to mock the officials, saying that they were trying to get on “Cottonelle Tissue Commercials.”
However, did the commentators and analysts come correct with their criticisms?
I’m not entirely sure. But maybe these definitions of what each foul is will help.
According to official NBA rules, a Flagrant-1 is a foul that involves “unnecessary” contact.
Via Sporting News:
“Rule 12B, Section IV-a. If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpreted to be unnecessary, a flagrant foul—penalty (1) will be assessed. A personal foul is charged to the offender and a team foul is charged to the team.”
A Flagrant-2, on the other hand, is a foul that involves “unnecessary” and “excessive” contact.
“Rule 12B, Section IV-b. If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpreted to be unnecessary and excessive, a flagrant foul—penalty (2) will be assessed. A personal foul is charged to the offender and a team foul is charged to the team.”
During the play, there is 100 percent unnecessary contact because Draymond grabbed Clarke’s jersey and pulled it down.
But was it “excessive?”
Well, he didn’t pull his opponent down in an attempt to hurt the guy. I mean, Draymond was trying to ease his fall when he realized his hand was caught in Clarke's jersey and that he was yanking him down.
Additionally, when Clarke landed on the ground, Draymond was holding him up, trying to make sure he didn’t land awkwardly.
So in my opinion, I don’t think it was excessive. It was -for reference- nowhere close to the foul that Grayson Allen committed against Alex Caruso back in January that injured Caruso for weeks.
Thus, the Draymond play was definitely a Flagrant-1, but I don’t think it was a Flagrant-2.
But what do you think? Was that foul excessive enough to be deemed a Flagrant-2?
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you -the Warriors were able to pull through and beat the Grizzlies 117-116 (although it was tough without their top defender and quarterback).
NBA Newswire
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