Baldwin Jr. describes 'jarring' view of Draymond's Poole punch originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
As the son of a college basketball coach, Warriors rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. has been around hoops his entire life.
When it comes to team dynamics, there isn't much Baldwin hasn't seen on or off the court.
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But still, Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole at Warriors practice last week was still a bit shocking for Baldwin and teammates to witness.
"That is a jarring image," Baldwin said of the incident to reporters Monday. "But overall as a team, we’re moving in the right direction."
In the video of the practice altercation leaked by TMZ Sports, Baldwin could be seen in the frame as one of the closest Warriors players to Green's punch.
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"In the moment, you kind of saw the first reaction," Baldwin said. "I had seen stuff similar to that. But overall, as a basketball team, I think we’ve just got to take that and move forward. Really push together."
At 19 years old, Baldwin is the youngest player on the Warriors' roster. Golden State features multiple players aged 21 or younger on its training camp roster, including key pieces to the franchise's future like Baldwin and fellow first-round picks Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman.
The Warriors' post-punch message to the youngsters has been crystal clear.
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“I just told them that this is not normal,” coach Steve Kerr said Monday.
As Green continues to take time away from the Warriors to give teammates space, he's unlikely to play Tuesday night when Golden State hosts the Portland Trail Blazers in its fourth preseason test.
When he returns, Green's relationship with Poole will be tested, but the forward also will need to reconcile with young teammates like Baldwin if he wants to reclaim the leadership role that has proven to be vital to each of the Warriors' titles.
