Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young said that Golden State Warriors star forward Draymond Green showed growth when it appeared he attempted to kick Grant Williams in the groin in a recent game.

Young pointed out that “the old Dre” would have gone through with the kick, but Young believes that he held back.

Green has already been suspended multiple times this season for his actions, and he was recently ejected from a game against the Orlando Magic for arguing with officials.

The former Defensive Player of the Year has had his fair share of violent actions in his NBA career, including a time he kicked big man Steven Adams in the groin during a playoff game.

Just last postseason, Green was ejected from a playoff game against the Sacramento Kings after he stomped on Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis.

Green’s actions have gotten out of hand too many times this season causing him to miss several games. This is problematic for Golden State, especially with the Warriors in danger of losing out on a chance to compete for a playoff spot.

The current No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, Golden State is 29-20 when Green plays this season, but the team is just 11-14 without him.

Young, who played with Green in the 2017-18 season when they won an NBA title together, may have been making light of the situation, but Green was able to avoid an ejection against the Hornets and didn’t let the situation with Williams escalate.

After beating the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night, the Warriors now have a two-game lead on the Houston Rockets for the No. 10 seed – and final play-in tournament spot – in the West.

Golden State needs Green to avoid any more suspensions and ejections, as he has played well this season. In 49 games for the Warriors, Green is averaging 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from 3. His 3-point percentage is his best since the 2015-16 season.

Green and the Warriors will take on the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night as they look to extend their lead on Houston in the standings.