On Tuesday night, the short-handed Golden State Warriors dominated the New Orleans Pelicans, despite a rough first quarter. The Dubs switched gears after that opening period and clearly didn’t ease up once the game ended. The two teams faced off again on Wednesday night for another matchup in the “baseball series” format that’s still relatively new for fans. The Dubs controlled the game from start to finish. A major factor? Draymond Green’s stellar one-on-one defense against Zion Williamson. And after the turbulent 2023-24 season, Green seems to be in a better place.

Green readily welcomed the counseling he underwent during his indefinite NBA suspension, feeling it gave him valuable insights into managing his emotions. Now, the four-time NBA champion is set on reshaping his reputation and pushing the Warriors back into contention this season.

After the game, in a conversation with NBC Sports, Draymond said, “Uh, didn’t play well. Didn’t act well and you know, I wanna, like you said, I want to show the real me. I want to show the growth, you know. I talked last year about being a champion of change, arguing referees, these guys are human, they make mistakes. And I’m trying to understand that such an emotional game I play, you know, one of my best attributes is playing with my emotions and so, uh, taking that next step and learning how to play with those emotions. But, knowing where to channel those is a big important stuff for me and something that I’m really focusing on this year.”

From letting Curry down, he has now taken charge of the team and propelled it forward. Even on Tuesday, when the team was down 20 points, it was Green who gave an inspiring speech to the team during halftime and we saw what happened. This is the Draymond Green who was instrumental in the Warriors’ championship runs over the years.

After undergoing counseling, Draymond Green looks like he’s a changed man

The counseling Green received wasn’t aimed at drastically changing who he was. Instead, it focused on equipping him to handle situations more mindfully when they arise. With guidance from both the Warriors and the NBA, Green feels he now has strategies to address challenges he’s faced in the past.

Reflecting during his suspension, Green had ample time to consider his actions and the impact they’ve had—not only on himself and the Warriors but on countless others in his life, including his four children, with whom he spent quality time while away from the team.

Green admitted he avoided basketball for over a week after his suspension began, choosing instead to focus on himself rather than on the Warriors or team dynamics. “I needed the time,” he explained when speaking to media for the first time since his suspension in January of this year.

“I needed to regroup, to ground myself, to reset, and to get a clearer perspective. When you’re constantly in the mix, it’s hard to see what you really need to.” Green expressed gratitude toward the Warriors organization for standing by him despite his past missteps and emphasized that his main goal moving forward is to become a better person in every aspect of his life.

And now it’s time for Green to give back to the organization. He is looking on the right path now. Being a leader in the absence of Curry, motivating his teammates.