Kurtenbach: Draymond Green will not let the Warriors go down without a fight

Draymond Green has never been quiet about anything. He always has something to say.

So did you really think he would let the Warriors’ dynasty end quietly?

This man fought his way into the league, and he won’t be leaving without a fight, either.

And there’s plenty of fight left in him yet. (The good, productive kind.)

With Steph Curry gassed and the Warriors’ season teetering on the brink amid the final stretch, Green has done something that few players in this league can actually do:

He’s willed his team to victory.

And it’s been loud, brash, and so, so needed.

There are a lot of guys who can play well enough for their team to win the game. They might even hit the last shot or make a big play down the stretch.

But the class of players that can put a team on their back and take them over the finish line is small.

And there is still no player who can do it the way Green can — by making the little things big.

If you need examples of what I mean, I recommend you watch Green’s last two games.

They’re both part of a nice run for Golden State, which has won five straight games. As of Thursday morning, they have a three-game lead (which is effectively four) over the Houston Rockets for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Barring a historic collapse, this team will play at least one postseason game. They can effectively clinch that berth on Wednesday night in Houston.

But that’s only possible because of Green’s over-my-dead-body play.

His performance in Sunday’s win over the Spurs was vintage. He filled the box score, but it was all the things that don’t show up in a box score that won the game for the Warriors.

After all, he won the game with a box out against a player a foot taller than him.

Against a young, inexperienced, but unquestionably talented Spurs team, Green won with toughness, determination, and smarts. There’s no doubt San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich will use Green’s game as a case study in his lessons for how to win games in the NBA.

Green anchored the Warriors on both sides of the court. His elite defense turned into quality offense for the Dubs again and again. And when he wasn’t able to create momentum that way — in the moments of the game where San Antonio’s talent (specifically Victor Wembayama’s) was taking over, he found a way to manufacture turning points that favored the Warriors.

Sportscenter didn’t show the highlight of Green boxing out Wembayama — all 7-foot-4 of him — as the Warriors missed a 3-point shot while up 3 points with less than 10 seconds remaining. But by boxing out the soon-to-be Rookie of the Year and forcing the Frenchman (Frenchkid?) to go over his back with resolved, fundamental play, Green won the game.

As was the case so often during the Warriors’ salad days, Green wanted it, so he took it.

“Dray’s passion is why they’ve won championships around here,” said former foe, now teammate Chris Paul.

And Green wanted a win on Tuesday night, too. So he took it.

Green controlled the entire contest, but he saved his best for last. He had two clutch buckets in the final 183 seconds and then won the game with the defensive highlight of the season — a rejection at the rim of Dallas big man Daniel Gafford.

Green even stymied Dallas’ final play in the four-point Warriors win, pinning Kyrie Irving in the corner as the final seconds ticked away, leaving the Mavs guard to hit the side of the backboard on the final shot of the game.

Over the last five games (Green has played four, thanks to his first-quarter ejection in Orlando), the Warriors have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. Elite competition? Hardly. But the Warriors aren’t in a position to nitpick.

And no matter what the circumstances of Tuesday’s game were — the game was originally scheduled to be in Dallas — the fact is that Green and the Warriors took on on arguably the hottest team in the NBA, an offensive juggernaut in Dallas, and held them to 100 points.

“This team [Dallas] is playing at a really high level,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s a great team, regardless of fatigue… They’re still really hard to guard, and we held them to 100 points. That’s a good sign that what we did on the road was not flukeish.”

It’s not a fluke because the defensive performances were coordinated by Green, who has 10 steals over the last two games.

Credit to Andrew Wiggins, Trayce Jackson Davis, Klay Thompson, and the more lenient spring whistle but with Green in the middle of it all, the Warriors’ defense has looked formidable as of late.

The Warriors are not a team with the kind of offense, or offensive firepower to win without that level of defense. Especially with Curry looking like he desperately needs a few days off. (The weight of carrying this team for months has taken a toll on him.)

These are the kind of performances that make Green the “heart and soul” of the Warriors.

Green is playing at an exceptionally high level—a level that you would have fairly thought was behind him over the last two seasons.

But if it isn’t, it’ll be hard to bet against the Dubs. This Green has a long track record of victories — two Final Fours and four NBA titles.

The Warriors’ big man has said for years that he saves himself for the big moments. Remember when he declared, “Anybody can win in March… I have a hard time getting out of my bed in March”?

Well, now that it’s crunch time, Green is fully awake.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Warriors’ role players — with Wiggins at the forefront — are playing great ball alongside him, either.

But here’s the big question:

How long can Green give Golden State this version of himself?

They’ve needed everything from him in the last two games. He’s delivered.

I don’t see that requirement changing anytime soon. It’ll undoubtedly be in place for Thursday’s game with the Rockets.

Between being undersized (even for the 4) and all the playoff runs (he’s played in 29 playoff series), the 34-year-old has played hard minutes his entire career. That’s why he is judicious about how long he stays in bed.

This season has been partially taxing, as Green — who is generously listed at 6-foot-6 — has played most of his minutes at center.

And even if he can handle the physical workload, the Warriors trust that he’ll control his emotions enough to be on the court when they need him?

Green plays with an edge. Sometimes he cuts the opponent, and sometimes he cuts his own team.

“If he wasn’t like that, that would mean he doesn’t care,” Paul said. “Show me someone that’s ok with losing, and I’ll show you a loser.”

And if there is one thing Green is not, it’s a loser.

How long can Green hold this much-needed form? How far can he push the Dubs this season?

That’s anyone’s guess, but I’ll provide this bit of advice, learned from a decade of firsthand experience:

Don’t underestimate Green. He might not have the same burst or stamina he carried in his 20s, but the skills that made him a future Hall of Famer are still sharp.

And, pardon the pun, but when Green showcases those skills at this level, it guarantees the Warriors a puncher’s chance.