Since Stephen Curry went down with what the team has described as a runner’s knee, the Golden State Warriors have been forced into a revealing stretch that has sparked one of the most uncomfortable debates of the dynasty era.
Warriors’ Post-Curry Reality Raises Tough Questions
Golden State is just 4–5 since Curry’s latest injury, a mark that reflects both the absence of the league’s most gravity-bending shooter and the fragile ecosystem built around him. More troubling, however, has been what’s happened alongside Curry’s longtime runningmate Draymond Green.
During the same span, Green has been in and out of the lineup with a lingering back injury — and the Warriors were 2–6 in the games he did play. The team’s last two victories, a 128–117 upset of Denver and a convincing 133–112 win over Memphis, both came without Green.
That coincidence has ignited a question few around the franchise would have dared to ask just a year ago: Are the Warriors, right now, better without Draymond Green?
From Warriors’ Defensive Anchor to Lineup Dilemma
GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green react after a play.
For more than a decade, Green has been the connective tissue of four championship teams — a four-time All-Star, nine-time All-Defensive selection, and the emotional engine of the Warriors’ identity. But at 35, and without Curry on the floor to weaponize his passing and screening, Green’s offensive limitations have become harder to hide.
Opponents are no longer disguising their strategy. As one recent game against New Orleans made painfully clear, defenses are giving Green a massive cushion — daring him to shoot, drive, or create in space. The respect that once unlocked Golden State’s offense has eroded, leaving lineups clogged and spacing compromised.
Nick Friedell Floats a Radical — and Growing — Warriors Idea
The possibility of a role change gained traction this week when The Athletic’s Warriors beat reporter Nick Friedell suggested that Green may now be best utilized as a “super sub.”
“I don’t know if it’ll happen by the end of this year,” Friedell said on 95.7 The Game, “but Draymond is probably best served coming off the bench, playing 18 to 20 minutes, giving a defensive jolt when needed.”
Friedell doubled down days later, arguing that the data and the eye test are now aligned.
“They’re just a better team when Draymond is in these more limited minutes right now,” he said Thursday. “That’s just what it is.”
Shooting Slide, Turnovers, and Shrinking Margin for Error
The numbers back up the concern. After opening the season shooting a blistering 43.5% from three in October, Green’s efficiency cratered to 28.6% in January and only marginally improved to 31.6% in February.
Even more alarming: Green is averaging 2.7 turnovers per game — second on the team, only to Curry. The difference is in usage. Curry leads the Warriors in offensive responsibility. Green ranks 14th, near the bottom, making each mistake more costly.
Without Curry drawing double-teams and forcing rotations, Green’s decision-making has been exposed rather than amplified.
Horford’s Resurgence Changes the Math
While Green has struggled, Al Horford has quietly flipped the conversation.
In Golden State’s last two wins, the 39-year-old veteran started and delivered 16.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting a scorching 61.5% from three. His overall plus-minus (+23) dwarfs Green’s (-7) this season.
Horford’s ability to stretch the floor, keep the ball moving, and defend without dominating possessions has restored offensive flow — a luxury the Curry-less Warriors desperately need.
Steve Kerr Acknowledges the Challenge
Head coach Steve Kerr has not shied away from the reality.
“I’ve got to do a better job of helping Draymond,” Kerr admitted last week. “The game is so different without Steph. Those two guys have built such a rapport for 14 years now.”
Kerr emphasized that Curry’s absence impacts Green more than anyone else, dismantling the two-man game that has long been Golden State’s offensive backbone.
A Collaborative, Painful Pivot Looms
Kerr has acknowledged that conversations with Green about coming off the bench have already occurred — framed not as a demotion, but as a strategic evolution. Friedell noted that Green has been open to the idea, but buy-in from the entire locker room would be essential.
“It was very difficult to see how far things had fallen if you’re a Warriors fan, but the reality is right now, they’re probably best suited to pull him off the bench,” Fridell said. “But you have to have everybody buying in to make that kind of move happen.”
This isn’t about erasing Draymond Green’s legacy. It’s about confronting the present. Without Curry, the Warriors can no longer afford sentimentality over functionality.
For a franchise built on self-reinvention, the next bold move may not be another trade — but redefining the role of one of its greatest pillars.
Warriors Insider Hints at Seismic Draymond Green Decision