Davin McFarland
The Golden State Warriors may soon face a difficult but necessary conversation about Draymond Green’s role. Once the soul and defensive backbone of the dynasty, Green now presents a more complicated on-court equation.
Will the Warriors let their subjective morality keep them at odds, or will they finally pivot toward the future and create a new role where Draymond can be his best self?
Without Stephen Curry playing, Draymond Green looks unmotivated
Offensively, the decline has been evident but is becoming harder to mask. Green’s reluctance to shoot compresses spacing and compromises the lineups he’s in, especially without Stephen Curry.
When Curry is unavailable, Green’s value as a short-roll playmaker diminishes because no one else on the team attracts defense like Curry. Now those open threes for Green aren’t as open.
Basketball, like many pro sports, is a game of inches. Opponents dare him to shoot by sagging off, neutralizing driving lanes while anticipating his pass-first instincts.
The predictability fuels turnovers and stagnation. In modern spacing-driven offenses, playing a non-scoring threat in heavy minutes can resemble four-on-five basketball.
Defensively, Green remains intelligent and communicative. He still quarterbacks coverages, switches effectively, and raises the team’s collective awareness. Yet even that impact has been inconsistent, often undercut by lapses in composure.
Technical fouls, momentum-shifting outbursts, and emotional volatility have at times negated his defensive positives. Availability and discipline matter as much as skill.
The Cost of Loyalty in a Changing NBA
Golden State’s remarkable win over the Denver Nuggets without Green only intensified these discussions. By leaning fully into shooting and pace, the Warriors forced Denver to guard space differently. With a $27 million player option looming, the franchise must evaluate sustainability.
If Green opts in, the Warriors may need to reduce his minutes, stagger him more strategically, or shift him into a situational defensive role. This isn’t indicative of Green’s ability to play the game, but the Warriors haven’t done right by him with the workload he’s been asked to handle in recent years and the toll it’s taken on him physically.
The decline has been precipitous, so the dynasty’s next chapter may depend not on Green’s presence — but on redefining it.
