The Golden State Warriors will only go as far as their veterans can take them.
However, sometimes, they don’t need to be on the floor to lead.
Notably, that might be the case with Draymond Green right now.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has decided to bench Green and put Jonathan Kuminga in the starting lineup.
Asked about that, Green admitted to being a huge fan of Kuminga’s game, and he understands that it’s now his time to prove what he’s got.
“I have been one of JK’s biggest fans since he’s been here. … So if his opportunity goes through me, then it is what it is,” Green said, via KNBR.
"I have been one of JK's biggest fans since he's been here. If his opportunity goes through me then it is what it is. That's his opportunity… I care about this organization and a lot of people in this organization, including myself, believe he's next. If he's next, at some… pic.twitter.com/oUxESeS395
— KNBR (@KNBR) December 7, 2024
That’s the attitude you want from your veteran leaders.
Green has drawn plenty of criticism because of his character, and he infamously punched a former teammate in the face, which clearly hurt his reputation in the locker room.
Now, he’s proving to be a team player.
Green, while never a great scorer, could’ve had bigger numbers during his career, but that was never in his mind.
He’s always been the kind of player who would do anything his team needs, even if that means giving up some scoring.
The Warriors have always been very high on Kuminga, but he hasn’t always gotten the playing time to prove his worth.
The team is reportedly looking to acquire a win-now player to help Stephen Curry, and this will be Kuminga’s opportunity to prove they don’t need to dig into the trade market to find one.
As for Green, he deserves a lot of praise for taking this decision this way.
NEXT: Steve Kerr Says 1 Warriors Player Will See An Increased Role