The Warriors just played their first full game without Draymond Green since he was suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić across the face earlier this week.
His presence in Golden State's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night was missed dearly by his teammates, but they're less worried about the basketball side of things and more focused on Green getting himself better.
"I'm super confident in his ability to do that, and the conversations yesterday were about acknowledging that he can't do what he's been doing. He knows that. We know that. Everybody knows that," Warriors superstar Steph Curry told reporters after the game. "What that means to change, I think that's the search for the answer. That's the journey that we're on now.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"I think the tone has changed from any other suspension. Coach said it before the game: We're here because we're playing basketball, we're wearing a Golden State Warriors jersey. We've been doing this for a long time, and championships are a stake in terms of us being a contender. And he's a part of that.
"But you got to take a step back and make sure everyone is right, mentally and physically, to be able to perform. And take care of yourself. Everyone has their mountains to climb, and Draymond's are his, and I'm confident that he can get over the hump, no matter how long it takes to get there."
Green was tossed in the third quarter of Tuesday's loss to the Suns after officials assessed him with a Flagrant 2 foul for swinging at Nurkić and hitting him in the face during an inbounds play.
Golden State Warriors
It was the third ejection of the season for the veteran forward.
Before the suspension, Green played in just 15 of Golden State's 23 games. He was ejected from three, suspended from five and missed two because of injury and one for personal reasons.
Meanwhile, Curry has held things down all season for the Warriors, averaging 28.6 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 41.3 percent from 3-point range, with 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 33.7 minutes. But the Warriors hold a 10-14 record and are losers in four of their last five games, "good" for 11th in the Western Conference.
When the Warriors have most needed their leaders -- Curry, Green and Klay Thompson -- only Curry has consistently delivered. Between Thompson's shooting struggles and Green's inability to keep himself on the court, Curry has tried his very best to keep the team afloat.
"It's been tough, obviously, trying to get our head on straight in a situation that we're in, he's in," Curry said. "Trying to focus as a team on basketball, coming out, performing and trying to win and get ourselves out of this funk. Didn't go our way again tonight. But the big picture is nobody is letting go of the rope. Nobody is trying to have any type of panic. For Draymond to take care of himself, I know there's questions on what the suspension actually means time-wise and all that.
"The conversations we had yesterday were about him personally and making sure the focus is getting right, getting on a path that's going to allow him to be who he needs to be as a person, as a man, father, husband and a basketball player -- in that order. That journey is going to be challenging, but we're all here to support him. And try to hold it down while he's gone. It's a tough situation all the way around, but we are capable of getting through it, himself included."
All parties said suspending Green indefinitely was the best decision for Green, the Warriors and the league. NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said league officials didn't want to put a number on the suspension because they truly want Green to get the help he needs and take as much time as possible to do so.
However long that might be, Curry will be there by his longtime teammate's side.
"Just to be support," Curry said. "I don't necessarily know the program or the requirements, the things he needs to do. But I'm here as a friend and as a support to lean in on for being there for him. Whatever that means. Yesterday it was a conversation for us as a team to understand where we currently are, where we're trying to go. Holding each other accountable, holding Draymond accountable, too. And what needs to change for us to be right as a team, with him involved in that.
"Every day is a new challenge, literally, and that's going to be something that we have to be a support for him."
Thompson, who had his best game of the season in Thursday's loss, can't help but feel Green's absence on the court. He misses his teammate, but more than anything, he misses his friend.
"It's tough because Draymond is a huge part of what we do, and we're going to miss him dearly," Thompson said. "We know he's going to come back even better. A changed person. I miss him just as a friend, as a brother. I love him to death, and I can't wait 'til he comes back.
"Obviously, there's a big hole in our team right now but we're going to do the best we can to withstand his absence and keep playing our hardest."