The first few days of Warriors training camp have already set a different tone, and Draymond Green says the change is impossible to miss.
Golden State is trying to navigate a 2026-27 season that still comes with big expectations, especially with Stephen Curry and Green on the roster. But the margin for error is thin if the rest of the group doesn’t hold up, and Green’s early read on camp suggests the team knows it has to be sharper, harder, and more disciplined than it was a year ago.
“These first three days of practice, shit’s been different. It’s been a lot different, and I respect it,” Draymond said.
“It has been an extremely competitive training camp and a tough one, but like I said, tough is in the eyes of the beholder. But it is great… Day 1 was the hardest training camp practice I’ve ever had in my career… was probably the longest practice I’ve ever had… these first 3 days of practice, shit’s been different, you can’t have the season we had last year and just come back the next year, like ‘alright, we pick up here and do the same thing over again’, that’s delusion, no one around here is delusional.”
Green didn’t spell out every detail of what has changed, but his message was clear: the intensity is up, the physical demand is up, and the team is treating camp like a reset rather than a continuation. He believes that approach is already paying off, especially with several younger players making strong impressions.
“A lot of guys are playing really well. BP has played really well.
Yax has played really well. Malevy played really well today.
Brandon Williams is fast as hell. He is fast and crafty.
Get downhill. His finish is incredible.
He’s like floating and, like, super smooth. He’s been really good.
Healthy Melt has been really good. A lot of people are seeing that George is more than just a spot-up shooter.
He can put the ball on the floor and has some crafty finishes around the rim.”
He also singled out two-way big man Graham Ike, and Green’s praise for him was as strong as it gets.
“Been really impressed with two-way Graham Ike. Graham is super vocal,” added Green.
“He has a million questions. I was just coming up the elevator to do this podcast, and I bumped into Graham, and he’s like, ‘Yo, you got two offensive rebounds on me today.
What is it that you’re doing?’ And so I’m explaining to him… He’s very inquisitive, super smart man.
I wish I had some film of it, I would show y’all some of the passes this kid made yesterday out of the high post to cutters down the lane. He is very impressive.
And do not be surprised, and I’ll tell you this now: buy your Graham Ike stock now. Do not be surprised if this guy 15 years from now is still in the NBA and has had an incredible career, and he’s smart and vocal and got the tenacity.
Like, do not be surprised. You look up 12 years from now, and Graham Ike has carved out an incredible NBA career.
I’ll tell you that. Very, very impressive.”
Green also pointed to the growth of Will Richard and the return of Alex Toohey, while noting that “Big Al” has been in strong condition and fully involved in camp drills. He said the overall mood around the team has been encouraging.
“But overall, man, it’s just been good to see the growth of guys. Will Richard, seeing his growth, seeing a healthy Alex Toohey, it’s been really, really, really uplifting.
Big Al is in great shape,” said Dray. “Big Al’s in every drill in training camp.
Absolutely amazing to see. It’s been a really fun camp, and I think guys are getting better.
I think we’ve implemented some new things on the offensive end that I think ultimately will make us a better team, make everyone on the court a threat, ultimately help relieve some of the pressure off of Steph and some of the things that he has to do.”
That offensive adjustment is part of a broader effort to make Golden State less predictable. Green didn’t go into the specifics, but he made it clear the goal is to spread responsibility around and take some of the burden off Curry, who missed 39 games last season with runner’s knee.
Defense is getting a similar level of attention, and Green said assistant coach Frank Vogel has brought a fresh approach on that side of the ball.
“Then, defensively, Frank Vogel has brought some different things, some different terminology than we’re used to, but they’re emphasizing a lot of stuff right now,” said Draymond. “And it’s been really refreshing to see, like, you can tell the coaching staff spent this summer just ironing things out of what’s good and what’s not good, and these are the things we want to do because they are very direct with the plan of exactly what it is that they want to do and get done. You know, the amount of film that we’ve watched this year already in three days has exceeded the first three days of any other year.”
For Green, the early takeaway is simple: this camp has not felt routine. It has felt demanding, focused, and very different from what came before. And for a Warriors team trying to stay relevant in the West, that kind of edge is exactly what they need.
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