SAN FRANCISCO – Draymond Green is a magnet for attention whenever he is on the floor for the Warriors.
Often for positive reasons: a perfect defensive rotation, a timely 3-pointer punctuated by his signature “BOOM” or a deft pass on the short-roll.
Other times, for his well-documented follies: blowups at officials, flagrant fouls and offensive passivity that has become more glaring in recent years.
So that is what made Green’s performance against the Celtics on Thursday so baffling. He missed all seven of his shots and failed to fill the stat sheet, but that is something that can be expected on a semi-regular basis.
But without Steph Curry – out with runner’s knee for the next week or so – Green was a non-factor in almost every way during the team’s first game since the All-Star break. The Warriors were outscored by 28 points in Green’s minutes and have been outscored by 50 points across 73 minutes over his last three games, all played without Curry.
The Warriors are 2-5 since Curry left their game against Detroit at the end of January.
Coach Steve Kerr took blame for Green’s struggles after the team’s Friday practice.
“I’ve got to do a better job of helping Draymond. The game is so different without Steph, those two guys have built such a rapport for 14 years now,” Kerr said. “The two-man game with those two guys have been our bread and butter, and when Steph goes out, it really changes everything in terms of how defenses guard us, and it impacts Draymond probably more than anybody.”
Could Green, at age 35, be better-suited coming off the bench? Kerr’s answer was a resolute “No” and reiterated that both he and Green are still on the same page.
Total collaboration,” Kerr said. “It’s just ‘Here’s what we see as a staff, here’s the things we can do better to help you.’ He shared some things about how the game went, and that’s how it should work. Where you’re putting your heads together and trying to figure it out.”
Green’s decline and battle with his own mortality have been well-documented. He acknowledged prior to the trade deadline that he is no longer the game-wrecker he once was and that a departure could be in his future.
“How you approach the latter stages of your career as a player is so important,” Kerr said. “I think Draymond’s approach and attitude during this time, especially without Steph, where a lot of our weaknesses are exposed, he’s handling things with a lot of dignity. It’s not easy, especially when you have that kind of pride for being a great player. You have a night like that, and it’s tough. It’s so important he keeps his spirits up like he did last night.”
Brandin Podziemski, also speaking after Friday’s session, vouched for Green’s leadership qualities, noting how much he seeks out the veteran’s counsel.
“I try to catch him when he’s not just out of the game, or I try to catch him during halftime, just to get his thoughts on what he sees from his perspective,” Podziemski said. “He’s been a great leader for us.”
His advanced numbers bear out his decline.
His offensive rating is a ghastly 101, the lowest since the lost 2019-20 season, and his 113 defensive rating is the lowest of his career. Green’s impact stats across the board paint him as a negative on the floor this season.
But when Green is rolling, he is still one of the most impactful defenders and gifted passers at his position in the NBA. Kerr believed that rearranging the team’s positioning and emphasizing spacing even without Curry was at the top of his to-do list.
With Kristaps Porzingis, who is a 36% 3-point shooter as a 7-foot-2 center, now in the fold, Green now has a center partner who can space the floor.
“Without Steph, we have a much harder time gaining an advantage in the pick and roll,” Kerr said. “That’s where the spacing comes in and that’s where our work has to be better as a staff.”
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