The spotlight has always been on Steph Curry when talking about the Golden State Warriors. Most tend to forget about Draymond Green‘s importance to the team. Green doesn’t possess unworldly talent like Curry. But that doesn’t make him less important in the Warriors’ success over the years. His former teammate, DeMarcus Cousins, explained the impact that the 6-foot-6 forward has had on the organization.
There have been various doubts about what Green brings to the table. Although it’s known that he’s capable of guarding almost anyone, it’s on the offensive side that he gets questioned. The four-time champion doesn’t post as many points as Curry or even Klay Thompson.
On Thursday’s episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” Cousins highlighted how Green is influential to the Warriors.
It started when Draymond Green’s comments about winning motivated the Warriors on Wednesday’s 125-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs. According to Cousins, Green’s role helps the team succeed.
“Steph takes takes all the highlights and headlines with his talent, but the heart and soul of that team is Draymond,” Cousins said. “He’s the engine that makes that team go. He’s the voice in their locker room… I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes. The coaching staff listens to Draymond.
. @boogiecousins on Draymond Green's influence on the Warriors:
"Steph takes takes all the highlights and headlines with his talent, but the heart and soul of that team is Draymond… I witnessed it myself. The coaching staff listens to Draymond."@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/ne3HvSWnnp
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 13, 2025
“That’s how important his voice and role is to this Warriors team… I think the team heard him.”
It was a much-needed win for Golden State after the team suffered a 126-102 loss to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Draymond Green gets praised by an NBA analyst following the win against the Spurs
After suffering a tough loss against the Thunder, Draymond Green took the chance to urge the Warriors to step up their game. NBA insider Anthony Slater reported that Green took part in team meetings, including a players-only meeting, before their contest against the Spurs. This helped set the tone, especially on the defensive end.
The one-time Defensive Player of the Year took the challenge of guarding Victor Wembanyama. Although the 7-foot-4 center had the height advantage, Green has more experience being the underdog. His tenacity on that end caused Wemby to commit eight turnovers.
Slater had high praise for Green after that defensive performance.
“What a 24 hours from Draymond Green,” Slater said. “He’s lighting matches in OKC. He’s very much part of the leadership committee, trying to patch things together that he ripped apart.
I don’t watch every Wemby game, but that’s as good as I’ve seen Wemby defended. I think Wemby had eight turnovers.”
Green and the Warriors will face the Spurs for a second time this week on Friday.
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Follow me on- X at @BarbecueBro, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics and @GridironHeroics. You can also reach out to Reign Amurao via email at reignamuraonba@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
