Draymond Green’s season with the Golden State Warriors has become one of the NBA’s most talked-about storylines, and not for the reasons fans in the Bay Area might hope. As the 2025-26 campaign grinds on, Green’s on-court struggles, emotional volatility, and growing frustration with his defensive assignments have all combined to create a perfect storm of uncertainty for the four-time champion and his team. With the Warriors sitting at a middling 15-15 and clinging to the eighth seed in the Western Conference, the spotlight has never felt hotter on the veteran forward.
Let’s start with the numbers, which are as jarring as they are revealing. Through 24 games, Green has made just 72 field goals—yet he’s committed 75 turnovers and 80 personal fouls. That’s right: for every shot he’s put through the hoop, he’s coughed the ball up or committed a foul even more often. According to league data, no other NBA player logging more than 250 minutes this season has the dubious distinction of having more turnovers and fouls than made baskets. For a player who’s built his reputation on intangibles, defense, and playmaking, these stats paint a sobering picture.
On paper, Green’s season averages—8.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game—don’t look disastrous. He’s shooting 40.9% from the field and 32.7% from three-point range, with a 61.5% mark at the free-throw line. But dig a little deeper, and the cracks become impossible to ignore. He’s making just 3.0 field goals per game, while turning the ball over 3.1 times and committing 3.3 fouls per contest. That’s not exactly the recipe for stability on a team already fighting to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Green’s defensive rating—a stat that has long been his calling card—has also taken a hit. At 110.5, it’s the third-worst of his 14-year career, a clear sign that age and the grind of consistently guarding bigger, stronger opponents are starting to take their toll. The Warriors have been outscored by 60 points in his 124 minutes on the floor this December, a staggering figure for a player once hailed as the team’s emotional and defensive anchor. Gary Payton is a distant second at minus-20, underscoring just how rough things have been when Green is out there.
What’s behind this downturn? According to NBA insider Marc Spears, Green’s frustration has been mounting as he’s asked to defend centers who outweigh him by 40 to 50 pounds on a nightly basis. Spears reported on ESPN’s NBA Today on December 23, “I’m hearing to that Draymond’s a little frustrated with having to guard centers and having the guys that are 40-50 pounds heavier than him on a nightly basis.” It’s a workload that would wear down almost anyone, let alone a veteran who turns 36 in March and has spent his entire career sacrificing his body for the team’s greater good.
Green’s emotional edge, always a double-edged sword, has become more of a liability than an asset in recent weeks. During a December win over the Orlando Magic, he was caught on camera dropping an expletive in a heated third-quarter argument with head coach Steve Kerr. The confrontation didn’t end there—after being subbed out, Green continued to jaw with Kerr before heading to the locker room to cool off. Though he returned to the bench later, he didn’t play another minute. Kerr tried to downplay the incident afterward, calling it an “emotional moment” and insisting the team had moved on, but the optics suggested a deeper rift.
Ironically, Green was efficient in that very game, scoring nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. It was a rare bright spot in an otherwise rocky stretch. Yet even these flashes of effectiveness only serve to highlight the inconsistency that has plagued his season. In December, Green has not recorded a single positive plus-minus game—a stat that, for years, reliably demonstrated his impact even when the box score didn’t.
For the Warriors, the situation is fraught with complexity. Green remains a leader in the locker room and a tone-setter on the court. But when his production no longer matches the chaos he brings, the calculus changes. Trade rumors, once unthinkable during the dynasty years, have started to swirl. The whispers have only grown louder as the team hovers around .500, desperately searching for a spark to reignite its championship ambitions. Whether those rumors materialize into anything concrete remains to be seen, but the data—and the drama—are impossible to ignore.
It’s important to remember that Green’s value has never been solely about scoring. He’s been the Warriors’ defensive quarterback, an elite communicator, and one of the NBA’s best playmakers at his position. He’s helped deliver four championships to Golden State, forging a Hall of Fame résumé by doing the dirty work and embracing roles others might resent. But as the grind of defending bigger players takes its toll and his mistakes pile up, the question becomes unavoidable: how much longer can the Warriors afford to rely on Green’s intangibles when the tangible results aren’t there?
Golden State’s current standing in the Western Conference only adds to the urgency. At 15-15, the Warriors are eighth, just 1.5 games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies and 2.5 games above the Portland Trail Blazers. They’re chasing the Phoenix Suns, who are one game ahead, and the Houston Rockets, who sit four games up. With the playoff race tightening and every game taking on added importance, there’s little margin for error.
Looking ahead, the Warriors are preparing for a high-stakes Christmas Day matchup at home against the Dallas Mavericks. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET, and all eyes will be on Green—both for his performance and his composure. Can he channel his trademark intensity in a way that lifts his team, or will the mounting frustrations and rumors continue to cast a shadow over the season?
For now, the Warriors and their fans are left to ponder a future that suddenly feels a lot less certain. Draymond Green has built a career out of defying expectations and redefining what it means to be a star. This season, though, the numbers—and the narrative—are telling a much harsher story. As trade rumors swirl and the team searches for answers, one thing’s for sure: the days of taking Green’s impact for granted are over.
With a pivotal stretch of games looming and the postseason picture growing murkier by the day, the Warriors face tough decisions ahead. Whether Green remains at the heart of those plans or becomes a casualty of the team’s quest to reclaim its former glory is a question that only time—and perhaps a few more heated sideline exchanges—will answer.
