As the Warriors open training camp this week, the list of factors determining their direction this season is long enough to fill a book. It might begin with whether Stephen Curry, at 36, can maintain superhuman capabilities, no less important is whether 34-year-old Draymond Green can complete an effective season without doing time in NBA lockup.
Consider what the Warriors gain if Green has a season without suspensions, excuses and apologies. Someone who can defend five positions, makes winning plays at both ends, brings transmissible energy and adds IQ points to less astute teammates.
Someone who could at least approach the career-high 39.5-percent shooting from deep Green posted last season. Allowing for reasonably good health, all other factors – a reliable second scorer, rotational stability, a productive second unit etc. – rank lower than these two. If Curry can’t maintain or Green submits another season of absenteeism, nothing else will matter. The Warriors will be no better than mediocre.
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Curry’s productive history give him grace, so Green’s behavior is the bigger risk. The more likely to fail. It has the central figures in Golden State’s orbit – Curry, coach Steve Kerr, general manager Mike Dunleavy, CEO Joe Lacob – holding their collective breath.
For now, they’re keeping the faith.
“I think he's taken strides since last season, the incidents that occurred, to remedy that,” Dunleavy said during the annual preseason executive news conference last week at Chase Center. “I don't have any doubt or hesitation as far as Draymond being available for those reasons. Certainly, other stuff comes up, there's injuries, things like that. He's not getting any younger.
“But he's in a good mindset. He's in a good place physically. He's a leader of our team, and we'll be relying on him a lot.”
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If this sounds familiar, it’s because after each of Draymond’s malfunctions, those at or near the top of the team’s organizational chart always have expressed optimism about the future. And they’ve all been burned.
Draymond, to his credit, always owns his lapses. But isn’t that what abusers do? Abuse and apologize?
There was the incident with Jusuf Nurkić last season, which followed the incident with Rudy Gobert, which followed punching teammate Jordan Poole during a practice, which followed the beef with Kendrick Perkins, which followed the costly and gratuitous ejection in a loss to the Hornets, which followed the outburst directed at then-teammate Kevin Durant, which followed the most famous of all, the actions that led to a Draymond being suspended in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals ultimately lost by the Warriors.
"One of the most brutal things I've ever had to go through in my life,” Green has said in retrospect. “If I played (Game 5), we win of course, so I do feel it's my fault that we lost. Absolutely my fault."
This cycle is befitting of a codependent relationship, with Kerr conceding as much last April.
“I have so much faith in Draymond because I know him so well as a human being,” Kerr said. “He's flawed. We're all flawed. But he would be the first to tell you he's probably more flawed than the rest of us, right. I mean, he's the one who has had these transgressions, not the other guys, it's been him. He would be the first to tell you that.
“But he's one of the most loyal people I've ever met. He's one of the most competitive, he's one of the smartest players I've ever been around. And yet he makes these decisions that hurt the team, that aren't smart. So how do you reconcile all that? It's really difficult.”
Had Green been able to contain himself a little better, the Warriors might have won a couple more championships over the last 10 seasons. Draymond has blamed himself for some of the team’s shortcomings related to his conduct. He knows how important he is to success; his personal .669 career win percentage trails only Kawhi Leonard among players currently on an NBA roster.
This quest for success is at the root of the franchise’s patience with Green. His value has allowed him to a singular set of “rules” he’s allowed to defy. To further illustrate this uniqueness, the Warriors gave Draymond him a new contract last year knowing it could alienate Klay Thompson and might even result his departure.
If Golden State’s hopes and wishes for the Good Draymond could be weighed, they would be by the ton.
“He's excited for the season,” Kerr said last week. “I thought he had a good year last year when he was on the floor. But obviously we missed him during the suspension(s), and so we've got to do everything we can to help Draymond have another good year but make sure this team is on the right path for all 82 games.”
Kerr and the Warriors know how important Draymond is to their success this season pic.twitter.com/rvsiMKHHsh
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) September 26, 2024
Draymond’s list of sins as defined by the Golden State bible is marathon in measure, long enough to exhaust the souls of those with deep and abiding tolerance. This season likely will be his last, best chance for atonement.
He wants another ring. This drives him. Imagine what that would do should he put together another tremendous season and the Warriors make another trip to the NBA Finals. It’s a long shot, to be sure, but isn’t that the only goal worth hunting?
Such an achievement, at this stage, might be the most gratifying of Draymond’s career. He will have given his best self to the franchise that has stood by him, and the superstar that has remained in his corner.
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