Warriors’ Draymond Green, others sacrifice minutes to boost backups

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Draymond Green dribblesthe ball up court and takes charge of Golden State’s backups,directing two-way teammate Anthony Lamb on the wing, dishing theball to Donte DiVincenzo or finding Jonathan Kuminga down low.

The move Warriors coach Steve Kerr made with Green in Novemberto boost the defending champions’ then-struggling second unit hasworked out well, especially considering those players have beenneeded in a big way due to injuries over the past month.

Green, who continues to play significant time with the reserves,is regularly praised by coaches around the league for hiswillingness to sacrifice his starter minutes to help the overallbalance, something other stars are also doing around the NBA.

“It’s the modeling part for those guys that’s very helpful forthem in their game,” said Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who calledGreen “one of the most cerebral players in our league who has avoice that those guys will listen to.”

In Dallas, Luka Doncic is relied upon to play key stretches witheach unit. With Nets star Kevin Durant sidelined by a knee injury,Kyrie Irving is also spending more of his minutes with the Brooklynbackups as coach Jacque Vaughn is forced to get more creative withhis lineups.

“Some nights we’re going to put points on the board very easily,guys are feeling good,” Irving said of adjusting without Durant,“and some nights we’re going to have to really rely on our poise,really rely on our defensive pressure, and let that lead us towins.”

Rick Carlisle recalls fondly how former Mavericks star DirkNowitzki also used to play with the backups. And when Carlisleplayed, the now-Pacers coach always cherished the minutes Hall ofFamer Bill Walton played with him and the Boston backups.

Hawks coach Nate McMillan took on that role at times, too.McMillan used to play key stretches with the youngsters — and thestars -- in Seattle, taking great pride in making the others shine,“because that was the strength of my game.” Gary Payton would moveto the wing and McMillan might run the point on the floor withHersey Hawkins, Sam Perkins and Detlef Schrempf.

“I was the guy that would come in and really be that coach outon the floor,” McMillan recalled. “I was that guy who wasinitiating and making sure that we set up. Very similar toDraymond, I wasn’t providing a lot of scoring but the defense wasgoing to be there, moving the ball, getting the ball to thoseshooters, all of that.”

Those versatile players mean so much, to both the starters andthe backups, for their ability to make everyone on the rosterbetter. The Warriors are counting on the experience gained by theyoung players now making them a far better team come playoff timein April and May.

To this day, Carlisle treasures the time he spent on the courtwith Walton.

“When I was a young player we traded for Bill Walton when I wasin Boston and I was a hell of a lot better player when I was on thefloor with Bill Walton,” Carlisle said. “I wasn’t very good but nowwhen you’ve got a chance to be on the floor with aHall-of-Fame-type player like that who has major impact on defenseand offense, it’s going to change you.”

Green gets that. He wants to be part of helping his teammatesbuild a better NBA future by serving as an on-court guide. He hasthe championship pedigree.

“It’s definitely very important and I think guys do appreciateit. Ultimately, you have to understand a guy’s situation and howthey fare in their minutes. How the team fares in their minutes candetermine their future, so for me I take it very seriously, becausehow that group turns out is very important,” Green said.

“So I just view it from a different standpoint of life. Ihonestly view those minutes even more important than my starterminutes because those guys aren’t just set in what their careersare going to be.”

These rotations don’t work everywhere. Depth is a key part ofthe success if you ask Hornets coach Steve Clifford — not tomention the ability to adapt on the fly over the course of a longseason with all the ups and downs and tough travel days.

“To have long playoff runs like that you’ve got to be versatileand flexible in your lineups. I think also part of it has to dowith what kind of team you have and what kind of depth you have,”Clifford said. “You have to have good players, like really goodplayers off the bench, if you can play with only one starter.Usually it’s more veteran that way, when you’re playing a lot ofyounger guys usually you’re going to have to have a couple startersout there when they’re in the game.”

Warriors assistant Jama Mahlalela credits Green for doingwhatever is needed for the betterment of the team.

It’s not a chore for the 11th-year veteran Green.

“The way I look at it is you can help impact someone’s life,” hesaid, “and I take that seriously.”