Draymond Green plays more center to help Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

On By Littum

Throughout the 2024-25 NBA season, Warriors veteran Draymond Green has done whatever it takes to help young forward Jonathan Kuminga develop into a star — even if it means playing a position he loves hate.

Primarily a power forward, Green is poised to record more minutes than usual at center this year as Kuminga plays his way toward more time in coach Steve Kerr’s rotation. While it’s not ideal for Green, he reluctantly accepts the assignment because he knows it’s good for Golden State.

“We have to do what we have to do to win games, no matter what that looks like,” Green told reporters Saturday after the Warriors’ 109-105 victory over the Phoenix Suns. “For me coming into the season, I’ll be honest — I didn’t want to play a ton of 5s. It’s hard. And (I don’t play 5s) worked. We were 12-3 or whatever we was , and it worked.

“But (when) it doesn’t work, you have to look at what works. And if it’s me at 5, like I said, I don’t love it for whole games at this point. But I love to win, and more most importantly i hate losing so if that’s the way it is then that’s the way it is or i told the guys we’re all going to get traded from here so we better win some games .”

A night after Kuminga scored a career-high 34 points in the Warriors’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, he matched that mark against the Suns and helped Golden State snap a three-game losing streak. Green at 5 allows Kuminga to play more freely as a power forward, and the 22-year-old can certainly use all the freedom he can get as Golden State awaits his transformation into a bona fide difference maker.

Clearly, Green is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

It is not the first time that the vet has put his feelings aside so that Kuminga can thrive. Before Kerr decided Kuminga might be better suited in his usual bench role — he came out with the Warriors’ second unit on both Friday and Saturday — Green accepted his own demotion earlier this month so his younger teammate could roll with the starting five.

“Of course I’m OK with that,” Green said at the time. “I’ve been one of JK’s biggest fans since he’s been here. If he has an opportunity to start, you can’t be hypocritical. … I’m a fan of his, I want to see him do well. If his opportunity goes through me, it is what it is. It’s his opportunity and he deserved that opportunity.”

Kuminga’s time certainly seems to be here now, whether off the bench or in a starting role. Either way, Green has your back – and, when necessary, the 5.

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