He’s not hurt. He’s not benched. But for the first time in a Warriors playoff opener, Draymond Green looked like a passenger. No viral outburst. No dramatic scene. Just a sideline moment—Steve Kerr locked in with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, adjusting on the fly as the game unfolded. And Draymond? Missing from that huddle.
“It was such a great picture,” said TNT’s Kevin Harlan during the second quarter broadcast. “Watching Kerr talk with his two leaders as the game progressed—tightening the screws. One goal. Just winning.”
This isn’t about stat lines—at least not yet. This is about identity. For the last decade, Draymond’s voice has been central to everything the Warriors have done. But with Jimmy Butler’s arrival—and the authority he’s commanding just months into his Golden State tenure—the internal hierarchy may be shifting in real time.
Curry, for his part, turned it up, as he always does. His deep three from the Toyota Center logo helped spark an 18-5 run that flipped the early tone. Butler backed it up with active defense, quick decision-making, and the kind of playoff composure that Golden State has craved since Iguodala’s prime.
And Draymond? He started. He played. But he wasn’t steering.
His voice—once inseparable from the Warriors’ identity—felt muted. Not erased, but faded. This didn’t feel like a tactical decision. It felt like a shift. Is Kerr simply riding the moment? Or are we witnessing the quiet beginning of a leadership handoff?
(This is a developing story…)
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