Things got heated last night during Warriors vs Rockets. At the center of all the chaos? Draymond Green. Bringing his passion to the crucial game, the former DPOY tried every trick in the book to help his team win. Situation escalated when Draymond got physical with Alperen Sengun seconds before the first half buzzer, leading to a technical foul for the Warriors star. But instead of calming him down, Steve Kerr was focused on something more important during the half-time break.

When asked if he had a word with Draymond in the locker room after his controversial tech, the head coach said, “I didn’t have a message for him. We were just planning for the second half. That was it.” Well, Green was playing with high intensity from the start. Before the Sengun incident, he exchanged some words with Dillon Brooks after fouling him on a shot attempt. So, Kerr seemed okay with the veteran star’s high intensity and had nothing to say to him.

Even after Draymond received a tech, he kept the same attitude and began yelling at the Rockets players’ face once Jalen Green bricked the resulting free-throw. Although the Warriors ended up losing the game, Kerr was highly appreciative of the fire that Green played with, “I love Draymond’s fire. There’s a reason we got four banners up there. We wouldn’t have any without Draymond. I love his fire and you know he was fighting out there. Just didn’t go our way.”

Apart from his elite defense, Green’s role on the team has always been of a disruptor. He constantly uses his antics to break down the opponent’s offense by getting in their heads. More often than not, it works in the Bay Area team’s favor. However, that was not the case last night because the Rockets were just that good. But Kerr likely doesn’t want to change a thing about Green.

Steve Kerr once said Draymond Green’s emotion is “part of the package” as DPOY race heats up

It has been eight years since Draymond won his maiden DPOY trophy. During his prime, he was arguably the best defender in the league for multiple seasons. Well, this season seems like a huge nostalgia trip because Green is once again the favorite to win the prestigious award. Per Fox Sports’ recent report, he has the best odds to win DPOY at -165. Next in line—Evan Mobley and Lu Dort.

However, Green’s foul driven performance against the Rockets could hurt his bid. He finished yesterday’s game with one tech and five personal fouls, one of them a flagrant for hitting Sengun in the face during a layup attempt. More importantly, the Warriors lost. But DPOY or not, Steve Kerr knows exactly what he is getting with Draymond and he accepts it.

When the season began, Kerr said, “You can’t have it all. You can’t ask Draymond to play with this amazing passion and energy and effort and tell him ‘No. No. You have to tone down the emotion.’ It’s all part of the package.”

The head coach also revealed his strategy, “I mean, you’ve been watching us for a long time. So, Draymond’s gonna get plenty of technicals. As long he doesn’t get the second one, we’re fine.” Yes, Kerr’s only focus for Draymond is to not let him get ejected. Apart from that, his intensity and energy are always a welcome sight for the Warriors, especially in the playoffs. Thoughts?