OAKLAND — While Draymond Green’s absence is being celebrated as a win in Cleveland, behind closed doors, the Warriors are planning on using the NBA’s decision as the ultimate fuel to finish off a championship run.
Just an hour after the league sent out a press release detailing Green’s suspension, irritation was written all over the faces of the normally cheery Warriors at Sunday’s practice.
On several occasions during his press conference, the almost always open Steve Kerr refused to give any indication on his messaging to his players when they found out the news.
“That’s just kind of our internal business,” Kerr tried saying politely.
Here’s a translation: The Warriors are seething about the NBA’s decision to bar their leader from a championship-clinching game, and Kerr’s planning on channeling the team’s anger into one final Golden State hurricane at Oracle Arena, sending the Cavaliers home for the summer and into a state of disarray.
It’s unclear if Tyronn Lue and the Cavaliers are aware of the sleeping giant they’ll have to face on Monday night. Without Green on the floor, LeBron James will have more openings on the court to be aggressive with, instead of hesitating with the standing-around-dribbling-clinic he displayed Friday. Kyrie Irving will have an easier path to the hoop without Green’s rim protection. The absence of a 6-foot-7 center that can run a fast break effectively kills the lineup of death option.
The key to Game 5 actually rests in the palm of Kerr’s hand. He knows he has the ultimate card to play here.
The Warriors’ second-year head coach has never had to ask his players to play with sheer emotion before, because Draymond normally handles that for everyone. Green’s busy getting into the head of the opposing team’s star player, poking him in the chest. He’ll yell at the Warriors in the huddle to clean things up. He’ll get angry and loud when his team is trailing, and it’ll be just the right emotional response to trigger a comeback.
Now, in front of the entire team, Kerr can challenge everyone’s heart and desire with one win left on the table. The Warriors have never been a Knute Rockne, rah-rah team. But without Draymond’s presence, this is exactly the one time it’ll work.
Kerr will stare at Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and demand the pair be more vocal on the court and step up as leaders in a crucial moment. Kerr will yell at Festus Ezeli and Andrew Bogut to focus the big men on rebounding and intensity in the post, which is paramount to victory. Kerr will demand Andre Iguodala be as aggressive a passer as Green would’ve been at the top of the key. Mo Speights and Anderson Varejao will play bigger roles in Game 5. This is going to be an all-hands-on-deck approach. ‘Strength in Numbers’, if you will.
Replacing Draymond Green is hard. Convincing every Warriors player they’ll be needed to chip in instead — that’s not a hard task at all. That’s a motivating tactic they all can buy into.
“We have a deep team and guys who care for each other, and we’re going to come out and play extremely hard tomorrow — and we’re confident we can win,” Kerr said.
These guys genuinely love Draymond Green. Since the moment he arrived in 2012, Green has been a revered teammate. He practices as hard as he plays, he jokes around more than anyone off the court. He has a relationship with so many teammates and staff members. Green’s personality is as versatile as his skill set on the court.
“Draymond, we know it’s going to kill him not being there, but we’re going to go out there and do it as a team and win for him,” Klay Thompson said. “Go out there and try to make a statement on our home floor.”
Don’t expect the Warriors to be shell-shocked without their leader at Oracle Arena. Expect each individual player to fight even harder than they originally would have, purely out of respect for Draymond Green.