Chief Enabler Steve Kerr Condemns Draymond Green A Year Too Late For Cheap Shots, Jordan Poole Punch

Steve Kerr waited until Draymond Green delivered a spinning back-slap to Jusuf Nurkic's face to condemn the player for his volatile behavior.

Kerr stayed out of Green's way for a while, and is now answering for bad mentoring. The Warriors coach ripped passionate speeches on his personal politics but always lacked the stones to steer Green on the right path. Steve Kerr and his aimless Warriors team are 4-12 in their final 16 games.

Speaking ahead of Thursday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena, Kerr addressed Green's indefinite suspension, handed down by the NBA on Wednesday.

READ: DRAYMOND GREEN SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY, NBA ANNOUNCES

Most notable in Kerr's critique was name-dropping ex-Warrior Jordan Poole.

Kerr admitted that the Warriors looked forward to welcoming back a different version of Draymond Green and not the guy who punched Poole, stomped on Domantas Sabonis' chest, grabbed Rudy Gobert's neck, or slapped Jusuf Nurkic.

Steve Kerr Waits An Entire Year To Criticize Draymond's Behavior

Here's what Kerr told the NBA media:

I think the suspension makes sense. To me, this is about more than basketball. It’s about helping Draymond. I think it’s an opportunity for Draymond to step away and to make a change in his approach, in his life. That’s not an easy thing to do. That’s not something you say ‘Okay, we’re going to do five games, and then he’s going to be fine.’
It’s not just about an outburst on the court—this is about his life. This is about someone who I believe in, someone who I’ve known for a decade, who I love for his loyalty, his commitment, his passion, his love for his teammates, his friends, his family. Trying to help that guy. Because the one who choked Rudy , the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf, the one who punched Jordan last year, that’s the guy who has to change. And, he knows that.

An entire year went by and Kerr finally woke up to Green's destructive behavior. By many accounts, Kerr enabled Green's behavior by refusing to call out his behavior as detrimental, outside of missing games for the Warriors.

After Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock, prompting a five-game suspension by the league, Kerr described Green's role in the incident as 'defending' teammate Klay Thompson. Klay bickered with Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels before Green crashed in to strangle a neighboring Gobert. Green received a five-game suspension for the Gobert headlock. NBA Executive Vice President Joe Dumars acknowledged Green's history of cheap shots.

Kerr's blindspot for Draymond's behavior now leaves the 10-13 Warriors without the veteran for an undetermined number of games. Many argue he should sit the whole season.

Will Draymond Green play another game this season? Sound off: alejandro.avila@outkick.com.