Even at 35, Draymond Green dominates the defense. Yes, the Warriors pretty much blew their WCF shot in spectacular fashion. Stephen Curry’s premature injury had a lot to do with that. But the way they ended the regular season would give them a lot of confidence for the coming years. And despite Green’s issues, he’s still a major cog in Steve Kerr’s machine.

The drama surrounding Green is box office to be fair. It’s spectacular viewing for NBA fans. But not so if you’re a part of the Dub Nation. Multiple fines, on-court disputes, and even mandated therapy sessions have come alongside him being just the 13th player in NBA history to earn nine All-Defensive team honors. And that should tell you all about the guy. The Warriors had approximately 7 more points per 100 possessions when Green was off the court.

But obviously, it may not always be the best viewing for his coach. So, how does Steve Kerr fare with Green’s antics? It’s pretty clear for Kerr- Draymond Green might not be the best out there, but he’s still their fearless leader.

“I’ve always felt that Draymond is the heartbeat of the team. You know, Steph’s obviously our best player. But Draymond has driven a lot of the winning. Now he doesn’t fit every category in the book. Obviously he’s had his ups and downs in terms of his own leadership… But I think the common thread between all these championship teams… is just competitive force and fire. That’s what Draymond has,” said Kerr on The TK Show.

Green was joined by Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, Dyson Daniels, Lu Dort, and Amen Thompson on the All-NBA Defensive First Team. And he stands out in a very peculiar way, in the sense that he still makes it in a team that’s brimming with youngsters in the prime of their careers. So yes, he might have his problems. But Steve Kerr does not want anyone else as his captain? And that’s the vote of confidence that matters.

But one man’s gain is another man’s loss. Kerr is all out of compliments for Draymond Green. And while doing so, he unintentionally negated his management duties towards certain players who probably needed the confidence more. The biggest of the lot are Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, who still eye increased roles in this Warriors team.

Steve Kerr knows how to get the best out of his players

There’s bound to be a big shift when a player of Jimmy Butler‘s calibre comes into the squad. Not just in the playstyle, but in player roles as well. But it goes both ways. On the good side, Moses Moody found himself on the floor more often. But a change in role can also lead to a drop in performance:

“I’m thrilled that we got the contract extension done back in October. He’s locked in for the next three years and had a really good year. Obviously things went south for him a little bit in the playoffs, but that sometimes happens to young players and great learning experience for him and for us. We’ve got to figure out as a coaching staff how to better prepare Moses,” said Kerr on Moody.

At the same time, Brandin Podziemski’s performances dropped before the massive end-of-season turnaround. And he wasn’t doing well at the time. But for Kerr, it’s one of those conversations that needed to be had. It’s just part of coaching.

“It’s no fun- that’s coaching. I mean, if you can’t have those conversations, you shouldn’t be a coach, frankly. Everything is about transparency and honesty. And if you can do it in a way that’s empathetic and genuine, then I think players respect that.” What resulted next? Finishing his second season with solid averages of 11.7 points (44.5% shooting, 37.2% 3-point shooting), 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 64 games.

This pretty much sums up Steve Kerr’s plans moving forward. Is he happy about Green’s mistakes? No. But Draymond Green brings more to the table than just the antics. His leadership is invaluable, and so is his defence. Meanwhile, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski can also hope for increased roles after career-changing seasons. Do you see the Warriors making a deeper playoff run next season?