NBA has sent a shocking and unbelievable massage to golden state key player…

One week after Draymond Green smacked Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurki in the face and six days after the NBA announced the Warriors star’s indefinite suspension, there is still speculation about the details and length of his absence.

As if those are the most important issues at this point in Green’s career – and life. Draymond understands this now, which is why he has agreed to seek professional help.

What matters most is not that Green is sentenced to miss a certain number of games, but that he takes the time to address the issues underlying increasingly frequent acts of violence.

Since the suspension was announced, it has become abundantly clear that the NBA and the Warriors had reached a breaking point. They finally realize that efforts to curb Green’s outbursts should focus on treatment rather than punishment.

That point was emphasized again Monday when Joe Dumars, the NBA’s sheriff as chief executive in charge of basketball operations, stated that the suspension is indefinite because it allows Green time to seek advice from individuals better suited to provide support.

“I don’t believe dealing with player issues has to be solely punitive,” Dumars told The Athletic. “I don’t think so. I believe there is also an obligation to assist these young men in maturing and dealing with situations. So often, we simply say he should be suspended for the remainder of the year or for — OK.

“We must impose punishment.” But I also believe that we cannot dismiss these individuals. These are real people. And if we can administer punishment while also providing assistance, we should try. And I believe that’s what you’re seeing here and what we’re attempting to do right now, rather than simply suspending and dismissing them. That is not what we are attempting here.”

This statement from Dumars, who has known Green for nearly two decades, echoes much of what Warriors coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy have said.

“Obviously, [everyone] wants definite answers, length, and all that stuff,” Dunleavy explained last week. “But what’s best for us, Draymond, and everyone is that we provide him with the appropriate level of assistance.” Then we judge and base our decision on his return, depending on when the right time is.

Noting that Green smashed Nurki two weeks after returning from a five-game suspension for wrapping his arm around Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert’s neck, Kerr believes Green would benefit more from a more positive approach.

“The suspension makes sense,” said Kerr. “It’s about more than just basketball.” It’s all about assisting Draymond. It’s an opportunity for Draymond to take a step back and change his approach, his life. And that is not an easy task.

“That’s not something you just say, ‘OK.'” We will play five games. He’ll be fine after that.’ The league did exactly that, playing five games following the incident with Rudy [Gobert]. That is not the solution. To choose a number.”

The most encouraging development, according to Dumars and the Warriors, is that Green recognizes he cannot continue on the path he was on.

Green punched teammate Jordan Poole during a practice in October 2022, broke the NBA’s technical-foul limit for the first time in March 2023, and stepped on Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis’ chest in April 2023. Then there were the incidents with Gobert last month and Nurki this month.

If the league had simply issued suspensions ranging from five to ten to fifteen days, the Warriors and the NBA would have suffered.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that such an approach would have aided Green.

It’s refreshing to see the league shift its approach to Green’s outbursts from punitive to rehabilitative. To be sure, it’s long overdue, but a delayed attempt to get it right is preferable to no attempt at all. Green has been given a process to follow before being reinstated by the NBA and the Warriors. The specifics are kept private, as they should be in such a sensitive matter. He is unlikely to return to the Warriors before 2024.

When he returns is not, once again, a priority. Time is of the essence. People are more important.