Draymond Green issues bold warning to NBA about Warriors’ plans for next season

The Golden State Warriors’ season came to a disappointing end after falling short of their championship hopes. Despite being in a strong position to reach the Western Conference Finals, Draymond Green and company were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Western Conference Semifinals.

One of the key reasons for Golden State’s early exit was the absence of Stephen Curry in crucial matchups during the series against Minnesota. Without their superstar point guard, the Warriors struggled to keep up, but they’re already looking ahead. At least, that’s the message Draymond Green conveyed in his latest remarks.

On a new episode of The Draymond Green Show podcast, the veteran forward issued a bold statement aimed at the rest of the league. Green expressed confidence that the Warriors will return as contenders when the new NBA season tips off in October.

“Going into every year, I think every team says, ‘We want to compete for a championship,’ and you know those comments aren’t always true. The reality is, for most people, it’s very fake and not real at all. With that being said, I personally believe we’ll be right there next year, competing and trying to win a championship. I stand on that 100%,” Green said.

Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors.

Green reflects on Warriors’ series loss to Timberwolves

The Warriors’ decisive series against the Timberwolves left much to be desired. Without Curry and with Jimmy Butler underperforming, the team couldn’t get the job done. Reflecting on the outcome, Green offered his perspective, drawing a comparison to a previous playoff disappointment involving another team that fell short of its conference finals goals.

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“When I look at the series, it reminds me a lot of the Toronto series. What I mean by that is matchups are extremely important, both offensively and defensively. Matchups often determine the outcome of a game. There are also series where you can lose a guy and still win,“ Green explained.

Green continued: “Based on how the teams match up, when we lost to Toronto, one injury shifted everything. For example, in this series, Jaden McDaniels would have been on Steph the entire time, no doubt. That’s the guy they’d assign to him. But if McDaniels struggled or got into foul trouble, their next option would likely be Ant [Anthony Edwards].”

Green on Curry’s injury and its impact

With Curry sidelined for the final games against Minnesota, Green opened up about his teammate’s situation. “We’ve seen Steph deal with tons of injuries,” Green said. “If he could have given us 60%, I’d still say no. Even at 70%, I’d still say no.”

Green made it clear that Curry’s absence wasn’t a matter of unwillingness but physical limitation. His injury simply didn’t allow him to perform at a level that would help the team. Had Curry been healthy, and the rest of the roster in top form, Green believes the Timberwolves wouldn’t be heading to the Western Conference Finals.