Things have changed for the Warriors in just a matter of months. Yes, they are still the reigning NBA champions. And yes, thereās still a long way to go this season. But Steve Kerrās 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 donāt have will to defend
āOur defense isnāt very good,ā Green said, via The Athletic. āKind 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 isnāt fun. You just have to want to do it if you want to win. We havenāt.
āItās now or never,ā Green added. āWeāre 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 Aprilā¦ I wouldnāt be happy with that, but thatās what will be the result if you donāt get there.ā
This may sound harsh, but perhaps some players in the Warriorsā 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.
