Things have changed for the Warriors in just a matter of months. Yes, they are still the reigning NBA champions. And yes, there’s still a long way to go this season. But Steve Kerr‘s men arenowhere near everyone expected them to be.
Golden State is currently ninth in the Western Conference standings, four victories away from the playoff spots. The Dubs are struggling to be consistent, having failed to win four consecutive games since last year.
The Warriors took another step back on Tuesday night, losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on the road. After the game, Draymond Green had an extremely blunt review on his team, calling out his teammates for their lack of defensive effort.
Draymond Green says Warriors don’t have will to defend
“Our defense isn’t very good,” Green said, via The Athletic. “Kind of been the story all year. Got to do something to fix it. It has to come from within. Defense is all about a will, a want to defend. Defense isn’t fun. You just have to want to do it if you want to win. We haven’t.
“It’s now or never,” Green added. “We’re at .500 at the break. Middle-of-the-pack team, with those middle-of-the-pack stats. You got to come out the break and win and do it at a high level, or you go home at the beginning of April… I wouldn’t be happy with that, but that’s what will be the result if you don’t get there.”
This may sound harsh, but perhaps some players in the Warriors’ locker room need a wake-up call from one of their veteran teammates. Golden State can certainly do much better than this, and it still has time to improve.