Draymond Green is 75 days away from the opportunity for redemption, and it can’t be found with defense or rebounding or playmaking or a shooting stroke – all contributions that the Warriors welcome.
Those elements fall under the category of “wants” for a team in need of something more. Something only Draymond can provide beginning on Media Day on Oct. 2.
Once an effective leader on and off the floor for the Warriors, Draymond relinquished that quality in a spasm of violence toward young teammate Jordan Poole. Within days of that ugly incident, Green offered apologies while acknowledging that he had “failed” as a leader and as a man, to which we – and his teammates – say Amen.
Three months later, with the Warriors bouncing uncomfortably through a season of turbulence precipitated by that disturbing act, Green on “The Draymond Green Show” pointed yet another finger at himself.
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“I think a lot of our shortcomings this year are my fault,” Green said to his guest, retired NBA star Jamal Crawford. “Why is it my fault? Because I have not been the leader that I am and that I need to be for this team. And the reason I have not been that leader is also my fault.”
This was accurate, Draymond owned up to sabotaging himself and the team with the most destructive leadership failure in recent franchise history. Not even Stephen Curry, with his copious diplomatic skills, could bridge that gap.
Though Draymond can’t fix that now, with Poole traded to the Wizards, the player coming to the Warriors in return presents a chance to atone for sins of the past.
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That would be Chris Paul. For Draymond to reestablish his role as a leader, it’s incumbent upon him to ensure a productive partnership with CP3. They are not buddies. The amount of ice to be melted is, um, considerable.
There is skepticism around the NBA over whether a full defrost can be achieved. Indeed, there seems to be infinitely more curiosity related to the Draymond-CP3 coexistence than the Steph-CP3 coexistence. Steph, a consummate pro with an admirable perspective, can work with anybody. Draymond has, by contrast, had more than his share of off-the-hinges moments not only with opponents but also with teammates and coaches.
Which brings us to Draymond’s latest summer podcast tour stop, the Pat Bev Podcast, hosted by NBA guard Patrick Beverley.
Green seems less contrite about the incident with Poole than he did in the immediate aftermath, and he also was honest enough to admit that wearing the same jersey as Paul is not enough to form a successful partnership.
“I've publicly said I didn't like Chris before,” Green said. “I'm just not going to be like 'Oh man that changed now (because) he’s my teammate.’
“No, I look forward to talking amongst men. I look forward to working with another adult.”
Draymond is 33. Paul is 38. Both are established NBA leaders. Both are basketball savants. Both have a reputation for being blunt, even abrasive, in their assessment of teammates. Truth is, they are much more alike than different.
For the Warriors to have a rumor of a chance at a championship next season, the Draymond-CP3 rapport must be more functional than what devolved into a “business relationship” between Green and Poole. We’ve seen how that can undermine a team, perhaps best symbolized by Golden State’s 11-30 road record last season.
“There's no hiding from it,” coach Steve Kerr said after the season. “The incident with Draymond and Jordan at the beginning of the year played a role in that. It's hard for that not to impact a team.
“Anytime some trust is lost, then it makes the process much more difficult, and there was some trust lost. That's as blunt as I can be.”
If that means Green will need to bring a “peace pipe” of sorts to training camp and share it with CP3, so be it.
Having signed a four-year extension worth $100 million, Draymond will be under the biggest microscope of his career.
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There will be questions about his mileage, his durability, his conduct, about his ability to create and cultivate a fertile relationship with someone who will matter as much as Paul.
There is precedence for probability. There was a time when Draymond was suspended from an NBA Finals game after the slightest clash with LeBron James. They have since become “cousins.”
For the Warriors to flourish next season, Draymond’s defense will be essential, his rebounding important, his playmaking beneficial, his scoring appreciated. Those factors alone, however, won’t be enough.
