After a blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Golden State Warriors' first NBA Cup game last Friday, veteran forward Draymond Green had a postgame quote that’s aged quite well.
Green spoke on the team’s inconsistency — particularly on defense — and how much of that falls on him as a former Defensive Player of the Year and the leader on that end over the past decade.
He was right.
Warriors are dangerous and at their best with Draymond Green at the five
Steve Kerr has mentioned his reluctance to lean too heavily on Green at center this early in the season, partly to preserve the veteran’s legs. But it’s clear: when the 35-year-old is locked in as the small-ball five, the Warriors’ defense levels up.
After another brutal loss in OKC, Kerr made a bold change the very next night in San Antonio — starting Green at center against the 7'5" Victor Wembanyama.
Wemby has taken the league by storm, and the size mismatch was obvious. But if you didn’t actually watch the game and just saw the viral dunk (that didn't actually count) and the little stare-down after in Friday's meeting, you’d think Wemby won that matchup. He didn’t.
Over two matchups, Wembanyama shot just 8-for-21 when guarded by Green and turned the ball over six times. He was bothered by Draymond’s physicality, timing, and constant chatter — the same formula that’s worked against star bigs for years.
Victor Wembanyama when defended by Draymond Green the last two games:
8/21 FGM
2/5 3PM
6 TOV
14 MIN
(via @MrBuckBuckNBA)
pic.twitter.com/cCHEd21jYP
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 15, 2025
And it didn’t stop at Wemby. On the final possession, the Spurs avoided their 7’5 unicorn entirely and instead put the ball in De’Aaron Fox’s hands. Why? Because Draymond had Wemby completely boxed out. The lob or tip-in was a non-option.
That’s peak Draymond Green. It’s not flashy. It’s not always in the box score. But it changes everything.
He’s polarizing, unpredictable, and never afraid of the moment — and when it matters most, Draymond still makes your best player uncomfortable.
It’s easy to overlook his impact in a league driven by box scores and highlight reels. But there’s a reason Stephen Curry calls Draymond the “emotional heartbeat” of this team. When Draymond is engaged defensively, it unlocks everything — the pace, the flow, the rotations. He sets a tone that others follow.
Now the Warriors face a tricky and problematic situation. It’s only November, and they’ve already leaned into Draymond-at-center lineups again. Can they keep this up all season without burning him out? And more importantly — can they afford not to?
This team has real questions to answer. The bench is young. The scoring beyond Curry is shaky. But when Draymond Green plays with this level of control and intensity, the Warriors don’t just look competitive — they look dangerous.
If they want to keep their window alive, this version of Draymond has to be the standard, not the exception.