Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has had quite an eventful season. It started with him punching teammate Jordan Poole during training camp and involved another absurd incident when he stomped on the chest of Domantas Sabonis during Game 2 of the Warriors' first-round series with the Sacramento Kings.

Green was suspended for Game 3 due to the action, but returned in Game 4 and helped the Warriors even the series at two games. Green's impact is usually mainly on the defensive side of the ball, but he contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the Game 4 win.

In an interview with The Athletic prior to Game 2, Green said that the arrival of Kevin Durant in 2016 changed his mindset on how he plays the game.

Article Continues Below
More Warriors News
LeBron James with the logos of every NBA team in the background.
Ranking 5 best LeBron James trade destinations after Rich Paul’s bombshell Lakers quotesBailey Bassett ·
warriors, warriors free agency, brook lopez, golden state warriors
1 sneaky good player golden state warriors must sign in 2025 NBA free agencyGarrett Kerman ·
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) reacts during the second half against the Indiana Pacers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
NBA rumors: Ty Jerome garnering interest from Warriors, according to Zach LoweZachary Weinberger ·
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones (2) dribbles against Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the second half at Smoothie King Center.
NBA rumors: Warriors linked to Herb Jones, Nickeil Alexander-WalkerTroy Finnegan ·
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) defends against Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center.
Warriors’ Draymond Green shares clear opinion on Kevin Durant’s trade to RocketsRichard Pereira ·
Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots over Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum.
Bucks rumors: Will Milwaukee pursue trade for Andrew Wiggins?Julian Ojeda ·

“I’ve never really been one to think about the stats, per se, but when KD came to this team I was like: Yo, I just need to have an impact, I need to impact this game in whatever way I can,” Green said.

Durant's addition did indeed change Green's offensive output. After averaging 14 points per game on 10.1 shots per game the season before Durant joined the Warriors, Green averaged 10.2 points on 8.6 shots per game in 2016-2017.

Despite the dip in scoring, Draymond Green made his second consecutive all-star appearance and was named to the All-NBA Third-Team. He was able to recognize he could take a step back offensively while still having an impact on the floor for the Warriors.

“Some of my best games I’ve ever had in my career was like two points, and yet you can feel the total impact on the game. So that’s what I try to focus on,” Green said.