In the Golden State Warriors’ one-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Monday, the Warriors outscored the Clippers by 15 points during the 31 minutes and 57 seconds Draymond Green spent on the floor; meanwhile, they were outscored by 16 points during the 16 minutes and three seconds with Green on the bench. Without prior context pertaining to this season alone, one would think those numbers are the norm when it comes to Green, who has historically been a plus-minus gem and is second only to Stephen Curry in career plus-minus with the Warriors.
Green’s plus-15 against the Clippers was enough to improve his season mark from a plus-20 to a plus-35. While that number remains positive, it has been far from the top of the list (led by Jimmy Butler, who is a plus-130 on the season). Surprisingly, Curry has only been a plus-42 on the season, perhaps tied to the fact he is heavily platooned with Green.
The month of December was most unkind to Green in terms of plus-minus. The Warriors were outscored by a whopping 50 points with Green on the floor over the past month; with him off the floor, the Warriors outscored opponents by 103 points. This 153-point swing has made it difficult to deny how Green has become detrimental to the Warriors — not in the typical sense of him possessing a mercurial personality (although, that has still played a part), but with regard to his on-court production and impact.
Yet, despite the waning production of the organization’s best defensive player of all time, let alone one of basketball history’s greatest defenders, the team is reticent to part with Green. Explicitly, head coach Steve Kerr has lauded Green’s loyalty to the organization, to its players, and its coaches, while teammates such as Butler have reiterated their need for Green to be available in order for them to have a chance to succeed.
Implicitly, the consequences of trading Green go beyond what is seen on the court. Curry is perhaps Green’s biggest supporter on the team. While it’s doubtful Curry would loudly voice his displeasure should the team part ways with Green, it certainly won’t win his approval. For the team to have its franchise player become an unhappy individual isn’t a good prospect, to say the least.
Whatever the case, it’s clear while Green’s ability to think the game hasn’t suffered a significant decline, there has been a clear disconnect between what his mind wants to do and how his body has responded as a result.
The Windows Closing Around Green
Not everyone can age gracefully like Curry and LeBron James. At 35 years old, Green certainly has made it clear he isn’t as spry or speedy as he once was — traits that helped him redefine the word “tweener.” What was once a term that had a negative connotation (in that a tweener was stuck between skill sets and struggled to do one or two things at a high level), Green’s brand of being a tweener was a bonafide jack of all trades that impacted the game positively on both ends of the floor.
Never mind Green’s ability to anchor a defense and singlehandedly shut down an entire offensive possession. His handles for a bulky 6-foot-6 forward allowed him to bring the ball down expeditiously, while his speed and tenacity allowed him to outrun his counterparts — power forwards or centers who were slower of foot — in transition. He was underrated as a freight train who could finish possessions during flashy grab-and-go displays.
No better stretch exemplified the meld between Green’s cerebral play and athleticism than his 2016 playoff run, in which he averaged 15.4 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.6 steals.
2016 Draymond Green Playoff Tape
— Pitless (@pitlessball) June 19, 2025
15.4 PPG
10.0 RPG
6.0 APG
1.8 BPG
1.6 SPG pic.twitter.com/6JgS4POEQ3
Green became Kerr’s proverbial trump card, allowing the Warriors to play a more mobile lineup that could capably defend up and down the positional spectrum. However, Kerr used Green as a center sparingly — often, to close games — which spared Green from suffering the constant jostling and physicality front-court players endure in the paint.
Despite such preservation methods, a diminished center brigade has forced Kerr to play Green at the five more often than he would’ve liked, resulting in Green having to endure more of the physicality built for 7-foot behemoths rather than those with a 6-foot-6 frame. Not only has this affected Green’s ability to make his mark physically — it’s affected how he has had to operate as an offensive presence, in turn affecting his psyche and decision-making.
The windows closing around Green can be interpreted in one of two ways, both equally valid and apropos to his situation. In a general sense, his window as an impactful player is closing. On a more nuanced and specific level, the passing windows that allowed him to thread passes through tight spaces — often with help from the gravity Curry generates — have suddenly become much tighter.
While Green can still make his mark on the floor defensively, flashes of his poor decision-making have nullified those stops:
Per Databallr, Green is still considered a net positive: the Warriors are outscoring opponents by 2.7 points per 100 possessions during his minutes this season, built mostly on the fact opponents are being held to 112.9 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (equivalent to the ninth-best defense in the league).
The other side of that coin, however, involves the Warriors scoring 115.5 points per 100 possessions with Green on the floor, equivalent to the 12th-ranked offense in the league. Without Curry beside him, that points-per-100-possessions figure drops precipitously to 99.1, easily equivalent to the worst offense in the NBA.
Green’s scoring production is also far from what it once was. The last season he averaged double figures in scoring was 2017-18. Teams have somewhat figured out Green’s role on offense as a top-of-the-arc passer looking for windows through which to thread the ball. Accordingly, they have simply ignored to guard Green out on the perimeter to dedicate extra defenders to other actions happening away from Green.
While Green started out hot beyond the arc this season, teams have continued to base their coverages on reputation rather than form. Time has proven that decision the correct one: Green is shooting 32.6 percent on 4.3 3-point attempts per game this year.
A Window Of Hope For Green
Should the Warriors ultimately decide to retain Green in lieu of including him in a theoretical roster-upgrading trade, they will be banking on the hope Green’s highs are still reachable — and that those highs will hopefully come at an opportune time (i.e., the postseason). Such is a risky investment to make, one founded on years of camaraderie and the pedigree Green has built as a high-stakes performer.
Green’s 12-assist performance against the Clippers (during which, as a reminder, he was a team-leading plus-15) showed he still has what it takes to run the offense alongside Curry, his decade-long partner in crime.
All while continuing to defend at a high enough level when it is demanded of him — a sign Green is still capable of raising his game in certain moments:
Based on reports of how Green continues to occupy a role of utmost significance, it seems unlikely the Warriors will move on from him any time soon, barring a trade for a big-fish name (which seems equally unlikely, given the Warriors’ available assets).
If that’s the case, the Warriors are gambling the rest of Curry’s years as a high-level player on Green’s ability to complement Curry seamlessly on offense and act as Curry’s counterpart on defense — that is, an indispensable anchor whose absence negatively affects the team’s ability to stifle opponents’ scoring.
If Green’s performance against the Clippers is any indication, the Warriors are placing their chips on the right bet. But based on Green’s body of work this season, they are making that gamble with all odds working against them.
