Draymond Green admits 'big adjustment' as Warriors change his role

Draymond Green isn't hiding from the truth about his shifting role with the Warriors.

"I've been playing a certain way for so long. It's a big adjustment. But (I'll) figure it out," Green told reporters after Golden State's 104-101 preseason loss to the Clippers on Sunday, via Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle, as shared by ClutchPoints.

The 36-year-old made clear he understands the mandate, even if it isn't his preference.

"Whether I like it or not, it's going to happen. So I don't wanna get off into it, whether I like it or dislike it. It is what it is."

Green acknowledged that changes happen in the NBA and he needs to get on with the program as the Warriors diversify their offensive approach. That means ceding control he has held for over a decade while the team looks for scoring wherever it can find it.

KERR'S NEW PLAN

Head coach Steve Kerr is changing Draymond Green's role "quite a bit" to make him more of a scoring threat, per clutchpoints.com. The shift comes as the Warriors hunt for offensive production anywhere they can find it amid injuries to Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis, two of the team's best scorers alongside Stephen Curry.

Kerr is encouraging Green to take more threes and to cede more playmaking reps to Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg. The exact scope of the change is described only as "quite a bit" — no specific numbers on how many threes or how many playmaking reps are confirmed.

It marks a notable pivot for a player who has essentially functioned as the team's floor general for over a decade. The Warriors long utilized Green on dribble hand-offs and short rolls to maximize his elite playmaking skills, making him the engine of their half-court attack.

Now, with the offense diversifying, Kerr is asking the 36-year-old to stretch his game and let younger guards run more of the show. It is difficult to conduct an offense if defenses don't respect a player's scoring threat, and the Warriors have certainly run into that issue with Green.