It didn’t take long for free-agent acquisition Glenn Robinson III to realize the importance of arriving early to the Warriors’ video sessions.

That way Robinson could secure a seat next to Draymond Green and pick the brain of the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year.

“The way that he kind of thinks the whole game is really strategic and step by step,” Robinson said of Green before Friday night’s game against New Orleans. “On every play, he can tell you 10-15 things about one play. It’s crazy. To be able to break a defensive possession down like that, I don’t think I’d ever seen that.”

This is Robinson’s sixth season in the NBA, a career defined by being shuttled to five teams and struggling to find a steady role in the league. Until this season, during which Robinson has established himself as a consistent and versatile defender.

Robinson was the lone Warrior to start each of the team’s first 29 games, and with Green and Kevon Looney bouncing in and out of the lineup with injuries, it’s been the 6-foot-6, 222-pound Robinson who has generally drawn the toughest defensive assignments.

He’s defended LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. When Zach Lavine called for an isolation in the closing seconds of the Warriors’ game at Chicago on Dec. 6, it was Robinson who refused to let Lavine get to the rim and forced the guard into missing a potentially go-ahead 3-pointer.

The 100-98 win in Chicago was the Warriors’ only victory on a five-game trip, and it came a day after Green addressed the team following four straight losses. Green told his younger teammates that they needed to play with more effort and disregard outside distractions.

Green’s conversations are more detailed with Robinson, who turns 26 next month.

During Friday’s shootaround, Green walked Robinson through exactly what he should do if he gets switched onto New Orleans sharpshooter JJ Redick.

First, Robinson should top-block the guard — meaning planting himself between his man and the screen to force Redick away from the 3-point line and invite a drive. Green reminded Robinson that the entire time he’s completing this demanding physical sequence, he must also be talking to the teammate behind him to let him know the help-side defense will be needed to stop the drive.

Just the fact that Green would go so in-depth with Robinson shows the respect he has for Robinson’s desire to learn and his increasing versatility.

The first time the Warriors played New Orleans on Oct. 28, Robinson mostly guarded forward Brandon Ingram, who has a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Ingram was limited to 10-for-23 shooting and a minus-20 plus-minus rating.

Three weeks later, Robinson was the primary defender on ultra-quick Jrue Holiday. Robinson pestered the combo guard to 9-for-23 shooting, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range.

“It means a lot to me that (head coach Steve) Kerr is able to trust me to guard those players,” Robinson said. “I’m just trying to prove myself on both ends of the court, and I’m trying to create that resume.”

Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron