Draymond Green questioned why Victor Wembanyama avoided further punishment after elbowing Naz Reid, then pushed the Minnesota Timberwolves to think about revenge.
The incident became bigger than one ejection because of what did not happen afterward. Wembanyama was removed from Game 4, but the NBA did not add a fine or suspension.
That is the part Green could not accept. To him, the lack of added discipline changed the message sent to Minnesota and to every other player watching.
Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama’s elbow left Draymond Green furious
Draymond Green argued on his podcast that after Victor Wembanyama’s elbow on Naz Reid, the play looked intentional enough to deserve more than an ejection.
“There’s intent, guys. There’s intent. Y’all won’t get him off me, so I’m going to do it myself. So, as I pose the question: what if the shoe was on the other foot and it was Naz Reid taking out Wemby?
“I think this situation would look totally different. There would be fines. There would be suspensions,” Green said.
That was Green’s central point. He believed the reaction would have been much harsher if Reid had delivered the same blow to Wembanyama.
The play happened in Game 4 between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Wembanyama was assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected after elbowing Reid in the face area.
San Antonio went on to lose 114-109, which tied the series at 2-2. But Green’s focus was not the scoreboard; it was the precedent.
Naz Reid’s revenge question became Draymond Green’s point
Green then pushed the argument further by saying the Timberwolves should be asking who is going to respond, especially after the league chose not to add any extra punishment.
“For there not to even be a fine is crazy. It’s crazy. And I’m not for guys getting fined. I’m not for guys getting suspended. But for there not to even be a fine, let alone a suspension, I think is insane,” Green continued.
“… That’s what I’d be saying. Who’s getting him? Because clearly there are no fines for this act. There are no suspensions.
“You may get ejected, fine. But you may take Wemby out of the game. So who’s doing this to Wemby?” he concluded.
That is a dangerous question, but it is also why Green’s comments are so revealing. He was not just complaining about one missed punishment; he was asking what Minnesota should do if the league will not act.
Green’s own history makes the comments more complicated. He has been fined, suspended, and criticized for physical incidents throughout his career.
Still, that history also explains why he sees this kind of moment differently. Green understands how players read discipline, especially in a playoff series where physical tone matters.
The Timberwolves now have to decide whether the best revenge is emotional or basketball-based. Green clearly thinks Wembanyama should feel a response.
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