Steve Kerr sits Draymond Green as part of plan to get him more rest

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green sat out Friday night's game against the Chicago Bulls as part of a plan coach Steve Kerr said the two agreed upon over the offseason in which Green will periodically sit out games just to rest.

Kerr said the decision came in part because Green's hard-charging playing style can be physically taxing, but Kerr also noted that Green seemed worn at times during the 2017 NBA Finals, when the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games to win their second title in three years.

Kerr said that during that series, "I thought there were games where Draymond, we were almost piecing him together. Because of how hard he plays and because of the nature of his game, we just need to give him a rest once in a while. I planned this one a week ago."

Kerr said Green will continue to periodically sit out games at various points through the season and added that the team's success in recent years helped convince the All-Star to adopt this approach.

"Even though he doesn't love it, he agrees that it's a good idea," Kerr said.

Kevin Durant (sprained ankle) also sat out Friday's game. But the two stars were not missed, as Golden State beat the Bulls 143-94.

In recent weeks, Kerr has played with props while reporters tweet newsworthy nuggets during his pregame news conference, his way of gently chiding the digital disconnect. In one instance, Kerr trimmed his fingernails with a nail clipper. In another instance, he played with a Slinky. On Friday, Kerr continued the trend by using a deck of cards.

"Are you guys ready to tweet?" Kerr asked reporters, before announcing his starting lineup changes. "When you are done, we will resume contact. In the meantime, stare at your phones."

While reporters indeed stared at their phones, pecking out tweets, Kerr shuffled the deck of cards before asking whether reporters were ready to resume eye contact and maintain a human connection.