The Golden State Warriors are a riddle wrapped in a riddle this season - one night they look like contenders, the next, a team still searching for its soul. At 13-14 and sitting eighth in the Western Conference, the only thing consistent about Golden State right now is their inconsistency. Outside of Stephen Curry, who continues to put on nightly masterclasses just to keep the team afloat, the rest of the roster has been a revolving door - and that includes the starting lineup.
Head coach Steve Kerr has been under the microscope for the constant lineup shuffling, even as the season pushes past the quarter mark. But Draymond Green, never one to shy away from the mic or the moment, is standing by his coach.
"Everyone needs consistency, but we haven't consistently been good," Green said on his podcast, offering a candid, no-nonsense take on the situation. “You build consistency with something that's working. If it's not working, you don't keep doing the same thing - you try to find what is going to work.”
That’s the kind of straight talk you expect from a four-time NBA champion who’s seen just about every version of this franchise - from dynasty heights to the grind-it-out rebuilds. Green’s point is clear: Kerr’s adjustments aren’t about indecision, they’re about survival. And until the Warriors find the right combination of players who can deliver wins, the experimentation will continue.
Green also acknowledged the frustration from fans who are watching the rotation change from game to game. Players are in and out of the starting five, some see their minutes fluctuate wildly, and it’s hard to build rhythm when the pieces keep moving. But from Green’s perspective, it’s all part of the process.
"I understand why there hasn't been the consistency or continuity that people have been speaking about, because you have to find what works," he said. "Then once you find something that works, you don't go away from it, you lean into that."
That’s the plan - find something that clicks, then ride it. The problem is, through 27 games, that formula hasn’t revealed itself yet.
And while it’s fair to expect a team led by Kerr - now in his 11th season at the helm - to have a more defined identity, the context matters. The Warriors didn’t make any major moves in the offseason.
The core is aging. The young talent hasn’t fully developed into the next wave of contributors.
Kerr is playing the hand he’s been dealt, and right now, it’s a tough one.
There’s no doubt the Warriors still have the pedigree. Curry is still elite.
Green, when available, is still the defensive quarterback. Klay Thompson is working to find his rhythm.
But the supporting cast is a work in progress, and Kerr’s job is to figure out which pieces fit best - even if that means learning through trial and error deep into the season.
So while the rotation roulette might not be ideal, it’s not without reason. The Warriors are still trying to solve the puzzle. And until they do, expect more lineup tweaks, more experimentation - and more of Draymond Green telling it like it is.