Is Draymond Green Worth Headaches?

Historically, people forgive or tolerate less-than-ideal behavior from talented individuals. Draymond Green, however, seems to have run that belief into the ground. The four-time NBA champion only played 55 games for the Golden State Warriors during the 2023-24 season. Following the Warriors' third missed postseason since 2020, will Green finally get it together?

Last season played like a cautionary tale for the Warriors. For years, Green got away with questionable on-court behavior and outright disrespect toward his coach because "that's Draymond." Instead of nipping the issue in the bud, the Warriors utilized the energy to win four NBA championships.

Although such a decision made a lot of money and helped cement legacies, such enabling also created a hurricane of emotions they couldn't handle. Green seemingly reached the tipping point when he choked Rudy Gobert during a game. However, he outdid himself when he struck Jusuf Nurkic in the face one month later.

Green is playing "You Give me a Foot, I Take a Mile" with the NBA.

Following an unofficial amount of time suspended, Green returned to the Warriors lineup. However, by that stretch of the season, fighting for a playoff spot was like trying to get an Uber after a Warriors game on a Saturday night. With teams chomping at the bits to take out the Warriors, the race for the playoffs didn't end well for the Stephen Curry-led team.

The Sacramento Kings eliminated the Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament, leaving the Warriors outside looking in only two years after they won the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Green is one of the best defensive players of all time, and his passing ability meshes with Curry at an elite level. However, is he worth the headache for a player averaging only eight points and whose toxic behavior cost the Warriors a chance at re-signing Kevin Durant?

Related: Will Draymond Green's Head Keep Up with Hands?

No longer are the Warriors an elite team, meaning they can't afford to pay for a $53.5 million kick to the groin.

Although a majority of the "most to prove" player pieces revolve around individual stats, it's different for Green. The only stat the Warriors care about is winning, so they allowed Green to behave in such a manner for years.

Will Green finally see the forest for the trees, or will the Warriors implode from the dilemma they helped create?