"That lineup was fantastic": Steve Kerr gets honest about Draymond Green's minutes at center after Al Horford signing 

NBA: Preseason-Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors - Source: Imagn
NBA: Preseason-Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors - Source: Imagn

It wasn’t a surprise to see Steve Kerr use a small-ball lineup in the Golden State Warriors’ preseason opener against the LA Lakers on Sunday, with Draymond Green taking on the center role. But with the arrival of Al Horford and the presence of two other capable centers, Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis, Green won’t have to play heavy minutes at the five.

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Instead, he can shift back to his natural position, power forward, whenever one of those big men is on the court.

“It doesn't mean that Draymond is going to be logging heavy minutes at the five because he came off the bench with three centers tonight,” Kerr told the reporters.
“So if we start that way, it still allows Draymond to get, you know, get off of the big hulking centers as the game goes on.”
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The Warriors have relied on their small-ball lineup for years, with Green anchoring the lineup at center, so seeing it again wasn’t unusual.

What caught many off guard was Moses Moody starting over Buddy Hield or Jonathan Kuminga. Kerr explained his decision, shedding light on Moody’s defensive energy.

“Yeah, I mean, you know, what I like about the small lineup is it really empowers Moses to be that disruptor defensively, which he was right away. I know he picked up a couple fouls, but he had a couple deflections.
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"You could feel his presence right away. And then he has this great shooting night. ... That lineup was fantastic for us last year. So we need to play it at some point in the game.

Draymond Green has had a quiet start to preseason, with just two points, three rebounds and five assists. Moses Moody, meanwhile, made the most of his opportunity, leading the game with 19 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting night, leading the Warriors to a 111-103 win.

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Draymond Green gets into altercation with Jarred Vanderbilt

Early in the second quarter, things got heated during the Warriors-Lakers clash when a brief scuffle broke out on the court. Players from both sides quickly stepped in to prevent Draymond Green and Jarred Vanderbilt from locking horns.

The incident started during a Warriors offensive play. Green set a strong screen to free up Steph Curry for an open 3-pointer, but the contact was a bit too much, and Vanderbilt ended up on the floor. As Green backed up while watching Curry’s shot, he accidentally tripped over Vanderbilt’s legs and went down as well.

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Green jumped up right away and confronted Vanderbilt, thinking the Lakers forward had tripped him on purpose. Teammates and officials hurried over, though, forming a crowd near midcourt to calm things down before they escalated.

Fortunately, neither Draymond Green nor Vanderbilt was hit with a technical or flagrant foul, while Curry stayed locked in and drained the 3-pointer.

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Edited by Bhargav
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