Draymond Green Urges Wolves to Handle Victor Wembanyama in Game 5 After Avoiding Suspension

The NBA deemed that Victor Wembanyama's elbow at Naz Reid's neck did not warrant additional fines or a suspension.

Draymond Green Urges Wolves to Handle Victor Wembanyama in Game 5 After Avoiding Suspension

Draymond Green and Victor Wembanyama (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Victor Wembanyama was ejected for the first time in his NBA career for a Flagrant 2 foul against Naz Reid.
  • Draymond Green criticized the NBA for not suspending Wembanyama and urged the Timberwolves to retaliate in Game 5.
  • Kendrick Perkins and Paul Pierce expressed their disbelief over the lack of suspension, with Perkins calling it a prioritization of superstardom over player safety.

Victor Wembanyama was ejected for the first time in his short NBA career when he threw a vicious elbow into Naz Reid‘s neck early in Game 4.

The Frenchman is not known to have a violent side, and generally goes through a game without so much as throwing a hand unnecessarily.

The most he does is when he believes there is a need to talk back to a jawing opponent. Otherwise, he keeps his head in check whenever he takes to the court.

But in Game 4, the frustration of constantly being pushed and shoved around got to him. Since the last shove was from Reid, the San Antonio Spurs star went straight for his neck.

Officials deemed the incident to be good enough for a Flagrant 2, which means he was to be ejected from the game. However, the Spurs center avoided a suspension, as the league did not believe he warranted more punishment.

Jaden McDaniels and Joker just got fined for much less. For there not to be a fine is crazy… After watching their coach say, ‘Well, I’m happy he took matters into his own hands and level Naz Reid with an elbow.’ I would say to the Timberwolves, ‘Hey, guys, it’s a fair game.’ There’s no suspension, no fines. Who’s coming out there tomorrow night and doing it to Wemby?

Draymond Green said on his namesake show

Draymond Green believes that if he were to be suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Victor Wembanyama should have been suspended, too.

Now, he wants the Minnesota Timberwolves to be ready to handle the Spurs center in the same manner as the latter did to Naz Reid.

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Kendrick Perkins wanted Victor Wembanyama to be suspended

Green was not the only one who was surprised by the NBA’s decision not to suspend Victor Wembanyama. Former center Kendrick Perkins followed the same logic while on First Take and continued with it on SportsCenter.

Victor Wembanyama battling Naz Reid
Victor Wembanyama battling Naz Reid (Image via Do Deka/X)

Did the NBA get it right? In my opinion, no, because you prioritized superstardom and views over someone’s health.

Kendrick Perkins said

The former champion towed the same line Green started by saying that this decision should spark a fire underneath the Minnesota Timberwolves’ bellies. He understands that the reigning DPOY isn’t a violent player.

Perkins wants them to understand by now that the league wants the Spurs to be within a fighting chance to win the West, and the Wolves should use this as motivation.

This also should give them the green light to ramp up the physicality when they travel to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday. If the league did not think it was an intentional hit, then the Wolves should use that newfound leeway to let the Spurs know how far they can go.

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Paul Pierce slams ‘soft’ NBA for Victor Wembanyama ejection

While Perkins believes that the intention was enough to suspend Victor Wembanyama, his former teammate, Hall of Famer Paul Pierce believes this is proof that the NBA has become ‘soft.’

In my day that’s just an offensive foul, and we move on. In today everybody is so soft. You kick everybody out the game, ‘Oh, he should be in jail for that elbow.’ Get that out of here, bro… It’s flagrant 1 let’s play on. Let’s play our best vs your best. Let’s not let the refs dictate the series. All right here, give them some free throws, let’s move on. Let them play.

Paul Pierce said on No Fouls Given

The Boston Celtics’ great does not believe there was enough malicious intent to warrant a Flagrant 2. A Flagrant 1 was enough, and the officials should have allowed him to continue.

Instead, this proves how the NBA views such plays nowadays. After he said this, his podcast colleagues agreed that this would allow others to do the same to Wembanyama or any other player.

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