It’s only opening night, but Draymond Green’s radar for trouble remains large with the referees. In January, when the NBA ended his indefinite suspension, the defensive forward vowed to change his ways. At the time he said, “As far as not crossing the line with a referee, yes, that’s a big point of emphasis for me,”. For the remainder of the campaign, Green maintained a positive balance between his infectious energy and getting into trouble. However, that threshold might have thinned with a new season on the horizon.

It took a little over 20 minutes for Green to get his first technical foul of the season. The 34-year-old, unhappy with a foul call delegated with the referee over his decision. The official deemed his methods aggressive, assessing him as a tech in the Warriors’ season opener against the Trail Blazers. Green wanted an explanation. “How,” he kept saying to the referee.

However, with his trailing behind him unceremoniously, Steve Kerr foresaw the chances of aggravated trouble. If there was any learning from last season it was to dim a problem before it gets too late. Hence, the veteran coach, aware of Green’s loose leash when angered decided to call a timeout to allow him to cool down and recover from the incident.

In the following moments, Green did return to the floor with a cooled mindset. But still, he gave the referees an earful, defending himself from the harsh punishment. At the same time, he understood why he couldn’t cross the line and get into further peril.

Draymond Green doesn’t want to repeat the same mistakes

Time is far from a friend of the Golden State Warriors. The window to win a championship or move in an upward trajectory is seemingly three years. It inter-laps the time Green and Curry’s current contract runs with the Bay. With such condensed chances, the former DPOY wouldn’t want to fall into trouble, at least not this early in the season.

Because while numbers don’t bolster the case of the 34-year-old, Draymond Green is a juggernaut. He is the motor of the team, a voice that helps lead the troops and bring cohesion to the floor. During a turbulent stint last season, the Bay felt his absence. With him on the floor (55 games), the Bay recorded a net differential of +171 in his time on the court. Without him, it was still positive, but the disparity was vast.

Considering they were only three wins out of being the 6th seed and making the postseason, Green has learned just how valuable he is to the group. Upon repenting for his actions, he provided a notion of confidence to his teammates and the franchise. He had emotional conversations with Kerr too, who emphasized “I want us to end this the right way. And you’re not doing that right now,”.

It put things in perspective for Draymond Green. However, it has been relayed before too. The Warriors’ vocal leader isn’t going to become silent and not display his emotions. The chip on his shoulder as a second-round pick out of Michigan won’t allow it to happen. He will still tease crossing the fine line but also show the maturity to not be ignorant.

A revived version of Green could be motivating the Warriors’ locker room this season. And apart from leading through the front with his play and energy, being available is a huge priority for the defensive expert.