What Do the Warriors About Draymond Green?
San Francisco, CA (PSF) — 4-time all-star. 2-time all-NBA. 8-time all-defensive team. Defensive Player of the Year. 4-time NBA Champion.
Since he entered the league as the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Draymond Green’s personality has never gone unnoticed. Confident with swagger, with an intensity that matched his high-motored play, and an effort for trash-talk that matched his defensive prowess, Green has long one of the most polarizing figures in the NBA.
When the Warriors are humming, their engine is powered by the high-IQ basketball he provides on both ends, his coach-like knowledge and ability to lead the team integral to the Warriors’ success.
However, none of these positive, or on-court accolades matter if Green is not on the court. This season, he’s taken himself off of it far more than necessary, with actions that are simply indefensible.
When the Warriors were the top dogs of the league, the frustrations that losing tends to elicit from players’ emotions are much less prominent. But in the year 2023, just two seasons after winning the 2022 NBA Championship, the Warriors sit at 11-14 and towards the cellar of the Western conference at 11th.
The frustrations are understandable. Recently the Warriors were on-top of the basketball world. Now, they’ve become the punchline of blown league jokes once again, with their inability to close games.
The Warriors’ core is not meshing. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have been mired with inconsistencies. Kevon Looney’s effectiveness has dwindled as teams figure out his shortcomings on offense. Steve Kerr gives the young players inconsistent playing time at best. Chris Paul has already dealt with some injuries.
Rarely have the Warriors played sound offense and defense in the same game thus far. The frustration of not winning and executing what the Warriors were at least formerly capable of has been frustrating for everyone in the Warriors organization.
Stephen Curry has dealt with the frustration and shortcoming by shouldering the offensive load. Thompson by holding himself accountable and accepting being benched, and the same for Wiggins.
But Green? His frustrations have turned to malice. Frustration that hurts the team and takes his leadership and skillset off the court. Frustrations that embody an immaturity around losing and a lack of consideration for his teammates.
Punching people as a result of getting tangled up. Putting Rudy Gobert in an extended chokehold without hesitation. Showing no self restraint and racking up technicals fouls. Draymond Green is frustrated, and the Warriors haven’t done much to remedy that.
But Green is making the problem worse. He’s hurting the team. Putting his emotions before the team. The team that committed 100 million to him earlier this year, allowed him to have an unlimited leash with his antics and emotions, allowed him to run one of the best players in NBA History (Kevin Durant) out of Oakland, allowed him to punch his teammate without harsh repercussion, and has tolerated numerous other on and off the court incidents.
So, what do the Warriors do?
For years now, everyone in the Warriors organization has enabled his antics and his unchecked emotions. They contributed to this problem just as much as the on-court failures.
It starts with the man who leads them on the court, Steve Kerr. Notably short-versed and tight-lipped about Draymond’s actions, Kerr finally stepped up as a leader when asked about Draymond.
It sounded like the Warriors will be less tolerant of Green’s outbursts and are trying to help steer him in a better direction by holding him accountable in regard to his actions. He has made many mistakes, as Kerr pointed out, and only he can truly make the changes necessary to control his emotions in a healthier way that does not involve physical projection onto others.
With a borderline untradeable contract, and an at the minimum, partially tarnished reputation, the Warriors are likely stuck with Green for as long as they retain his rights.
This is why holding him accountable, putting a foot down and stopping the enablement of his actions, and guiding him down a route of self-reflection and gaining perspective is likely the most beneficial route for the Warriors. Rather than tear him down further, start trying to help him build himself back up into a more conscious, emotionally healthy human being.
Green has had the backs of the core of Curry, Thompson, and Kerr for years. Now it’s time that they have his back and support him, by guiding him in a better direction.
