With stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson already out for extended periods, the Golden State Warriors will do all they can to protect another member of their championship core.

The club will watch Draymond Green's workload and manage his minutes going forward, head coach Steve Kerr said, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell.

"The one thing we won't do is run him into the ground ... right now, he's kind of the lone survivor," Kerr told reporters before Friday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Green has already picked up a couple of knocks early in the campaign. The three-time All-Star briefly left the club's season opener due to an elbow injury and experienced some back soreness during the Warriors' loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

"If he's banged up, we should make sure we take care of him," Kerr said, according to Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports.

Green is averaging 10.3 points, 7.8 boards, 4.8 assists, and 1.5 steals through the first four games.

The 29-year-old was a key piece during Golden State's run to five straight NBA Finals. Green's defensive versatility has resulted in him earning NBA All-Defensive first- or second-team honors in each of the past five seasons. The Michigan State product was also named Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.

Green agreed to a four-year, $100-million max contract extension this offseason, which kicks in prior to the 2020-21 season.