Warriors Notes: Green, Horford, Santos, Dunleavy

Warriors forward Draymond Green believes complaints over a lack of intensity in the All-Star Game are a result of the league overscheduling players, relays Eden Collier of NBC Sports Bay Area. Speaking Friday on his podcast, Green recalled several All-Star appearances that featured a series of required events leading up to the game.

“I’ve been at this community thing, I’ve been at this event, I’ve been at this this sneaker deal thing, I’ve been at this this podcast thing,” Green explained. “By the time you get to the game … oh, I get 20 minutes to shoot the basketball.”

Green added that he prepares all day for a normal game, starting with morning workouts, followed by cardio, treatment, hot tub recovery, work in the weight room, shooting sessions, team meetings and then taping with trainers. That process is cut way short for the All-Star Game, so players are reluctant to compete at full speed for fear of injury.

“I’m going to go out here and play hard in this game that I prepared for, for 20 minutes?” he said. “That played a big part.”

Green’s solution is to let big-name players who weren’t selected for the All-Star Game handle the other events and have the All-Stars devote their time to the game.

There’s more on the Warriors:

• Green has been kept on the bench for the closing minutes of the team’s last two victories, Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle notes in a subscriber-only story. Green started the games as a small-ball center, but coach Steve Kerr opted to close with Al Horford in the middle surrounded by shooters and ball-handlers. “Al in the Phoenix game and last night was playing so well and I think without (Stephen Curry), it’s easier for us to score if Al is at the five and we space the floor around him,” Kerr said after Monday’s comeback win over Memphis. “… It’s harder to find lineup combinations without Stephen where we can play Dray at the four.”
• A roster shakeup caused by the season-ending injury to Jimmy Butler and the trade of Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta has resulted in Gui Santos moving into the starting lineup for the last five games, Gordon states in a separate piece. For the first time in his career, Santos is being trusted to create opportunities for his teammates by driving to the basket. “Without Jimmy, we don’t have much size at the (small forward and power forward) spots,” Kerr said. “Gui is — you can see by the way he’s been playing. He’s been one of our best players. He’s consistent, gaining confidence by the day.”
• The Warriors have a chance to re-sign Kristaps Porzingis at a reduced price, and Horford could be a bargain if he picks up his $6MM option to return next season, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. needs to add more youth and athleticism to the roster, contends Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.