Last season was tough for the Golden State Warriors, finishing 10th in the Western Conference and missing the playoffs. Heading into the new season, however, they seem more confident, with some key offseason changes. The Warriors are also under the second apron, a positive shift for a team that has struggled to stay under the salary cap threshold for years.

One of the main issues they faced last season was Draymond Green’s suspensions. As one of the team’s leaders, his absence severely affected the Warriors, and their disappointing finish reflected that. Draymond missed 19 games due to suspensions, following on-court altercations and technical fouls last season. When Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. was asked about Draymond’s availability for the upcoming season and if he’s taken steps to improve, he expressed confidence.

“Yeah, I mean, he has taken strides since last season, the incidents that occurred to remedy that. And so, I don’t have any doubt or hesitation as far as Draymond being available for those reason, you know, certainly other stuff comes up,” Dunleavy Jr. said. He doesn’t doubt Draymond’s availability but acknowledges the fact that as Draymond gets older, injuries become more of a concern.

Despite Green remaining a key leader, last season’s challenges may have influenced the Warriors’ decision to strengthen the roster for the upcoming season. Additionally, rumors have circulated about teammates growing frustrated with Draymond’s temper and past altercations, but Dunleavy has brushed those rumors off with his statements.

Dunleavy highlighted that with the new offseason signings, the Warriors now have more depth, allowing them to ease some of Draymond’s workload. “He’s in a good place physically and, you know, he’s a leader of our team and we”ll be relying on him a lot at the same time, I think there’s a reasonable expectation to take some load off of with some of the guys we have signed this off season, with the depth we have,” Dunleavy explained.

The goal is to avoid overburdening Draymond Green during the long season by managing his minutes or allowing him to rest, ensuring the team’s performance doesn’t suffer. Too much pressure can lead players to lose control, potentially causing situations like the ones Draymond faced last season. Dunleavy is mindful of this, saying, “It’s a long season and, you know all these guys need to through a lot, but I think from Draymond standpoint having the depth to be a be to afford if he’s playing less minutes one night or missing a game or whatever I think we can withstand that.”

Although everything seems fine within the Warriors team now, GM Mike Dunleavy had a few important words about discipline heading into the next season.

He also issued a warning, stating that the team’s future evaluations will be based on this commitment to discipline. “So that’s how we’ll kinda judge and evaluate things, and, you know, we’ll see what we’ll see what’s there,” Dunleavy continued. “So I guess that that’s the part I should have said is in with the reality of the cap and a lot of the new rules, like, there’s what you’d like to do and then what you’re able to do in a sensible way.”