The conversation around the Golden State Warriors keeps circling back to the same question.
Why hasn’t this group settled yet?
With roughly a third of the season gone and Golden State sitting below .500, lineup changes and rotation debates have become impossible to ignore. Head coach Steve Kerr has continued to tweak combinations, drawing frustration from fans eager for stability.
According to Draymond Green, that instability is not accidental. And more importantly, it’s not the root problem.
Why Green Still Believes in the Warriors
GettyDraymond Green has a huge influence on the Golden State Warriors.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, Green addressed the growing criticism around the Warriors’ lack of continuity and pushed back on the idea that consistency should come before results.
“Everyone wants consistency,” Green said. “But you build consistency with something that’s working. If it’s not working, you don’t keep doing the same thing.”
From Green’s perspective, the rotation changes are a response to uneven play, not a cause of it. Until the Warriors find combinations that reliably perform on both ends of the floor, settling into a fixed lineup makes little sense.
“I see people saying, ‘Steve needs to build consistency,’” Green added. “For sure, everybody wants that. But you don’t want consistent bad basketball. You want to consistently get better.”
That mindset, Green explained, is what has driven Kerr’s willingness to keep experimenting.
Late-Game Execution Has Been the Real Issue
Where Green was far more direct was in identifying what has actually held Golden State back in close games.
Turnovers.
“Number one, it’s taking care of the ball,” Green said. “And I raise my hand. I am leading that charge in a drastic way [by] turning the ball over.”
Green explained how those mistakes snowball. When the Warriors give the ball away, it fuels transition offense, prevents their defense from getting set, and eliminates opportunities to pressure the rim.
“If you’re turning the ball over, teams are swarming and running and shooting threes,” Green said. “If you’re turning the ball over, you can’t get your defense set.”
Those breakdowns have repeatedly shown up late, when margins are thin.
Runs That Never Fully Build
Green also pointed to another recurring issue: the Warriors’ inability to sustain momentum once they start rolling.
“Defensively, when you’re on a run in the NBA, you have to make it hard for people to break that run,” Green said. “We’re making it too easy to break up our runs.”
Instead of turning strong stretches into decisive moments, Golden State has often allowed opponents to stop runs early.
“What should be a 12–0 run turns into an 8–0 run,” Green said. “And those four points make a difference in this league.”
That distinction has mattered in multiple close losses this season.
A Slump That Built Over Time
The Warriors opened the year 4–1 before a frustrating road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 30, a game that came against a Bucks team missing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Green pointed to that night as an early turning point.
“It’s just kind of been this trickle-down effect all year,” Green said. “It’s just gotten worse and worse.”
Since then, Golden State’s issues have followed a familiar pattern. Big scoring nights from Stephen Curry. Missed chances to close. Defensive lapses and turnovers late.
Sunday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers fit that script. Curry poured in 48 points and hit 12 three-pointers, yet Golden State couldn’t secure enough stops or secondary scoring to finish the job.
“You have these great opportunities,” Green said. “Steph going for 39, Steph going for 48, where you need to capitalize on these wins — and we’re not doing that.”
How This Connects Back to the Rotation
This is where Green’s comments on consistency and rotation converge.
The issue isn’t simply who starts or who comes off the bench. It’s execution, ball security, and defensive focus when the game tightens.
Green himself illustrated that balance in his return against Portland. He finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists — and eight turnovers. The stat line reflected both the upside and the ongoing problem.
From Green’s viewpoint, Kerr will lean into continuity once the Warriors earn it.
“You have to find what works first,” Green said. “And once you find something that works, you don’t go away from it. You lean into that.”
Why Green Still Believes in the Warriors
GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Despite the frustration, Green remains confident this version of the Warriors can course-correct.
“I think we’re more than capable of cleaning it up,” Green said. “We’re right there. A lot of these games are right there and we’re just losing them at the end.”
With Curry and Jimmy Butler on the roster, Green believes Golden State has the closers needed to finish games once the details improve.
“We are more than capable of figuring it out,” Green said. “And we will figure it out.”
For now, Green’s message is clear.
The Warriors aren’t avoiding consistency. They’re trying to earn it — one cleaner possession at a time.
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