The Golden State Warriors are in a weird phase of their franchise. The dynasty years are long over. But Steve Kerr always has his squad playing hard and meaningful basketball. At 31-28, they currently hold the No. 8 seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. If the season ended right now, they’d be competing in the Play-In for a playoff appearance, a spot they’ve been in before.
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Despite their ability to fight, no one is really taking this team seriously as a championship contender. Steph Curry has been out of action with a lower extremity injury, and the Dubs are instead looking at guys like Moses Moody, Podz, and Will Richard to carry the load. You might be thinking, well, what about Draymond Green? The future Hall of Famer might not be the answer anymore.
That’s at least what Mark Willard thinks. The NBA analyst spoke about Golden State’s roster rotation on the latest edition of the Willard & Dibs program. Willard had a solution for the Warriors’ “what do we do with Dray” question. He suggests that if Curry doesn’t play, Green shouldn’t play either.
“Instead of worrying about minutes, instead of worrying about that allocation, instead of worrying about whether he starts or comes off the bench, how about if Steph doesn’t play, you’re out. Your back hurts. I’m not kidding at all,” stated b-ball insider.
“How about if Steph doesn’t play, you’re out…When Steph’s out, this team is better w/o [Draymond] because of the style they need to play.”
“Reminds me of the personal catcher in baseball.”@Mark_T_Willard & @dandibley on how the Warriors should use Draymond (@WillardAndDibs). pic.twitter.com/Fa5SY3VEuS
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 27, 2026
It’s a tough position to be in. Green is one of the most important players in Warriors history, and even though he’s past his prime, he can still create chaos as a rim defender. But Willard does have a point. Dray knows how to flow well with The Chef. He doesn’t really blend well with the current crop of young bloods. And Al Horford, who is right there, is a better shooter.
Willard is aware of that. He mentioned Horford as another reason to sit Dray. “We can all see this. It’s not just Draymond and getting old. When Steph’s out, this team is better without him because of the style they need to play. Not because he’s old, because Al is five years older. But Al can shoot the three.”
Obviously, this is a non-point if Curry is on the floor. That said, the Warriors have to decide whether they’re chasing nostalgia or building something that actually fits 2026 basketball. This isn’t about disrespecting Dray, it’s about recognizing that the ecosystem that made him elite only truly works with The Chef bending defenses.
Without that gravity, Golden State has to look faster, more spaced out, and more adaptable. Maybe that means staggering eras a bit instead of forcing them to overlap. The dynasty core deserves respect, but the next version of the Warriors won’t be built on sentiment. And if they hope to be competitive at all in the postseason, assuming they get there, they’ll need to figure something out.
