The Golden State Warriors can very much count on Draymond Green’s return to the court to go smoothly. Ever since the NBA suspended him for 12 games for a series of events that culminated in a wild shot to Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic’s head, his defense, playmaking, and energy have all been woefully missing.

But a lot more work will be needed if Green is to make a successful comeback to the locker room.

Before the start of the previous season, following Green’s punching of former teammate Jordan Poole, Warriors coach Steve Kerr repeatedly stated that trust needed to be rebuilt. 

Unpredictability has been the root of so many of Green’s problems, and it’s very difficult to trust a leader whose behavior is unpredictable on a daily, hourly, and minute-by-minute basis. Kerr has talked endlessly about how Green tries to walk a tightrope between passion and chaos. He has too frequently tripped over the high wire in the wrong direction during the last two seasons, severely hurting his team.

When he returns to the Warriors locker room on Sunday, he will need to focus on developing his consistency, predictability, and ultimately trust. Following Friday’s tough 113-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons, who had three wins, Curry thought back on Golden State’s struggles off the court in the previous two seasons.

“Trying to support the championship and everything we had to deal with last year.” Curry stated, “This year is more of the same.” “Various challenges, but 35 games are the result of a lot of work. It is imperative that you maintain mental and physical freshness and avoid becoming fatigued or exhausted from juggling multiple responsibilities while trying to play well on the court.

That sums up the Warriors’ situation well. Chris Paul recently suffered a broken left hand, which forced him to miss a significant amount of time. They must resolve their basketball problems, which include integrating Green into a rotation that is already unsettling and locating a reliable second scorer, while also trying to forge a cohesive team around a seasoned leader who has betrayed the team’s confidence time and time again.

It’s Draymond Green, after all. On Thursday night, Thompson stated, “He does everything.” It’s unnecessary to explain how much he means to this team—we’re all just ecstatic to see him return.”

Although the Warriors are thrilled, the system will undoubtedly be shocked. Since Green hasn’t been with the squad since mid-December, his return needs to be managed carefully. In order to maintain his competitive edge and advance from being a second-round selection to a possible Hall of Famer, Green will need to demonstrate remorse and accountability.

Above all, he must establish consistency and predictability in order to demonstrate his dependability. The 17–18 Warriors need it to happen quickly even if Green is able to accomplish that if they hope to salvage a wild season.

“Every season presents different and unique challenges that a team must overcome in order to play to their full potential,” Curry stated. “That’s been a severe case this season.”