Draymond Green has had his fair share of on-court beef, to put it mildly. He has always worn his heart on his sleeve, but sometimes to a fault. It is something that the Golden State Warriors have learned to live with.

Green admitted that he tries to dial it down, but it is not easy, especially with his competitive nature.

That is why he understood that John Collins wanted to send a message when he grabbed Dillon Brooks by the neck in their preseason game between the Detroit Pistons and the Phoenix Suns at Little Caesars Arena last week. Green felt that Collins was trying to fill the enforcer role for the Pistons following the departure of Isaiah Stewart, who is now with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Green issued a fair warning to Collins.

“I respect the effort. However, when you're giving that effort, and you're going to step into the shoes Stewie was filling, you're going to have some big shoes to fill. You're going to have to be on that type of time all the time because people are going to start trying you to see if you're on that type of time,” said Green.

Draymond Green warns John Collins after the scuffle with Dillon Brooks:

“I respect the effort, however when you giving that effort though, and you going to step into them shoes Stewie was filling, you step into those shoes, you going to have some big shoes to fill. You going to… https://t.co/E6xTie8c7z pic.twitter.com/YJt21p5biL

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) October 10, 2026

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The defensive stalwart, like Brooks, has tested numerous players by trying to get into their heads. For the 36-year-old Green, gamesmanship is par for the course. If it gets physical, he is all for it.

To recall, Green and Stewart got into it in 2023, pulling each other's jerseys before cooler heads prevailed. The four-time champion, meanwhile, has a long-running feud with Brooks.

The Pistons signed Collins to a three-year, $51 million contract in the offseason. Stewart, a beloved player in Detroit, was shipped to the Grizzlies in a six-team trade. In return, the Pistons received three second-round picks.