Steve Kerr and Draymond Green have been through the ringer many times over, but the Warriors head coach showed on Friday that he won’t shy away from making tough decisions when it comes to his emotional forward.
Kerr pulled Green midway through the fourth quarter of the 107-97 Game 4 win vs the Celtics in the NBA Finals, a move that sparked a 11-3 run with Green out, and saw the Warriors take a 97-94 lead. When Green returned, he made a number of key plays, including a crucial offensive rebound and assist to Kevon Looney.
Still, Green admitted postgame he wasn’t thrilled about being pulled out, even if he accepted the decision.
“I’m definitely never thrilled coming out of the game with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter in a must-win game,” Green said. “I’m not going to sit here and act like I was thrilled. I’m a competitor.
“But if that’s what coach decides, then you roll with it. I had to keep my head in the game and whenever I went back in, try to make some plays. That was just my mindset.”
Kerr said that he didn’t plan on having Green sit for such a long stretch, but that the group was playing so well he decided to roll with it.
“We took him out and put Loon in around maybe 7:40, which was our plan, anyway,” Kerr explained. “But Loon was playing so well and Jordan Poole was playing so well, so we just stayed with the group.”
“[Draymond’s] the ultimate competitor,” Kerr continued. “Came back in. Made huge plays down the stretch. He finishes a game with 4 steals, 8 assists, 9 boards.
“Look, this is a tough series for him to score because of Boston’s size and athleticism, but he’s still impacting the game at a huge level. And he knows we’re just going to do whatever it takes to win.”
Curry, the evening’s star, explained the trust the Warriors core has developed over the years, something that allows such decisions to be made without causing a fracture.
“There’s so much trust in how we do things,” said Stephen Curry, who had 43 points and 10 rebounds. “And decisions that Coach makes and responsibility falls on us as players; that Loon went in there, dominated the paint, got us some big rebounds, created a presence. Draymond came back in and had some juice and some life on the defensive end.
“We obviously understand it’s just about winning. … We’ve all been on the side where it doesn’t go your way from the top all the way to the bottom. It’s not fun. It’s not something you readily accept, but you understand the big picture, and obviously especially when it pays off. So it’s more so the trust in Loon and what he’s able to do than any kind of like situation with Draymond.”