Furious. Enraged. Irate. Fuming.
Pick a word, any word. Draymond Green was all of the above for long stretches Tuesday night at Chase Center. Even on a night where he found himself in two separate squabbles with the New Orleans Pelicans, perhaps nothing peeved Green more than when Steve Kerr wouldn't challenge a charge called on him with 4:48 remaining in the game and the Warriors up by seven points.
The call gave Green five fouls on the night, meaning one more would have him out for the game. The savior was someone who Green respects as much as anyone in the building, and someone who doesn't walk down to the Warriors' sidelines too often.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers walked down the bench and made sure he had Green's attention. When the GM began speaking, Green was shaking his head side to side. Within seconds, Green was in agreement, now nodding up and down. He dapped up Myers, zipped up his warmup jacket and walked his way into the Warriors' huddle -- now clapping out of encouragement.
"It was huge," Green said of Myers' message. "He came down, he was like, 'Listen. All right, you proved your point and you may have been right, but if you stay that way, guys are going to follow you. If you turn around right now and get in the huddle, guys will follow that.'
"I got back in the huddle and challenged our guys and boosted the lead even more. Y'all don't always get to see Bob's work, other than putting the team together. But he's so important to everything that we do. I can't imagine -- and I know, I watch this league. GMs don't keep a pulse on the team like Bob keeps a pulse of this team. Maybe two other GMs in the league right there would come down to the bench and say something. And that's also someone who I have the utmost respect for.
Golden State Warriors
"If Bob comes and tells me something, that's Bible to me. I'm going to listen to that. But that's a relationship that has been built over the last 11 years, and that is a relationship that will continue to grow over the next 40 years. For him to come down in that moment and say something to me, you gotta honor that and it was huge."
Less than a minute later, Green was back in the game without a foul to give and just under four minutes left in regulation. In the next near three minutes, the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 10-2 before pulling their starters with a minute left in their 120-109 comeback win.
Myers could have done what most GMs do and kept his distance. He knows what makes Green tick and what makes him go. His voice was needed in that moment, more than any coach or teammate.
How many other front office members hold that kind of weight, and have that kind of influence? The total can be counted on one hand. Truthfully, the answer might be a grand total of zero.
What unfolded was why Green, Steve Kerr and Steph Curry have been on the record, pleading their case for the importance of Myers -- both with what he has meant to the dynasty and what he'll mean in extending it for a handful of future Hall of Famers.
"It's just another example of it," Curry said. "Whether it's in front of 19,000 and on the bench or whether it's a phone call or a text or conversation, whatever it is, there's a lot of trust in his perspective. You don't see him come down that often.
"So it's not like it's something that's frequent. It's just timely, and that's something that Draymond responds to because he trusts his point of view. I don't know what he said in that moment, but it does go a long way whether it's in the locker room, at practice, off the court, outside the arena -- whatever it is, we respond to what he says."
For the night, Green was a game-high plus-26 in plus/minus over 33 minutes in the Warriors' 11-point win. He scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, with 13 assists, six rebounds and two steals. His late turnover Sunday night in the Warriors' ugly 99-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves played a major part in one of Golden State's most frustrating collapses of the season.
Draymond took it upon himself to bring the fire and be the Warriors' energy Tuesday night, especially after such a disappointing loss two nights prior. The Warriors came out of the gates slow and needed a spark. The 33-year-old was the match and the flame for the defending champions, who are fighting every day to avoid the play-in tournament and improve their playoff standings.
Down by 17 points at halftime, the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 74-46 in the second half -- a 28-point advantage. Green played 17 minutes in the second half and attempted one shot. To expand on Green's unique gravity, he was a plus-26 in the final two quarters with two points, nine assists, three rebounds and countless examples of bringing the Warriors to life.
"Draymond willed us to victory tonight," Kerr said. "His intensity, his frustration early with the way we were playing, mad at the world, yelling at everybody -- their bench, our bench, me -- and frankly we all deserved it. That first half was as poor a half as we've played all year. We weren't engaged and that's what makes Draymond special.
"It's not just the amazing basketball IQ, defense and playmaking, but it's just his sheer will. And he was key tonight."
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Honing in his sheer will behind his intensity and frustration was the glue that kept Green and the Warriors together. Myers is to thank for that. All without a contract that extends beyond this season.
Following however far the Warriors go this season, Green has a $27.5 million player option on his contract for next season. Myers has nothing. He and owner Joe Lacob appear at odds over Myers' current contract, which ends after this season. Draymond can test the waters, or sign on the dotted line for at least one more year.
Myers in his first NBA draft as the Warriors' GM took a flier on a decorated college star who was considered a tweener, then a knock instead of a plus, with the fifth pick of the second round. The rest is history, and everything he and the Warriors have built could be history if Myers' future with the franchise isn't figured out in a hurry.
Tuesday's wild win where the Warriors trailed by as much as 20 points could be a turning point of the season, or only another victory on a court they have dominated all season. Either way, it served as a prime example of the unmatched impact Myers has on the Warriors.
The rest of the Warriors' decision makers better listen loud and clear to the meaning behind the words of Steph and Draymond. The weight their words hold are immeasurable, and the basketball world is watching.