Stephen Curry says Draymond Green won't fix the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors got off to an impressive start of the season, but a tough stretch has dropped their record to just 8-9. Needless to say, it’s not a coincidence that Draymond Green has missed five of those games due to a suspension.

Gobert’s altercation with Rudy Gobert just one minute into their clash vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves has forced Steve Kerr to shake off his rotation, and the team’s defense has taken a big hit.

With that in mind, Stephen Curry acknowledged the struggles the team has been through without its best defender and one of their best playmakers, admitting that they desperately need Green back on the court:

“You know, we’re 8-9,” Curry said after their win over the San Antonio Spurs. “Like I said, that nine-game stretch that we’re in right now. It’s not been great. So I know Draymond is excited to be back. We’re excited to have him.”

Draymond Green screaming

Stephen Curry Explains Draymond Green’s Impact

“We need him,” continued Curry. “To kind of just focus on the areas of improvement, especially offensively, well, I guess both sides of the ball, offensively in terms of what we’re trying to accomplish in each possession, defensively, be more connected as a unit, and trust in each other a little bit more so that we can be better, like the point of attack, defense, and knowing that we have help side and just being more organized on that front too.”

Fortunately for them, the Warriors will finally get him back on the court for Wednesday night’s divisional clash with the Sacramento Kings. Even so, the four-time NBA champion knows the team still needs to put up a big effort to solve the woes that have hurt them thus far:

“So Draymond being back helps a lot, not just because of what he does defensively with the way he communicates, but it won’t solve everything,” Steph concluded.

Warriors Are Being Patient

Trading for Chris Paul was a somewhat bizarre decision. As great a player as he is, he’s by no means a natural fit for their system. Even so, the Warriors continue to stay optimistic about his play and his impact on the second unit, even if the results haven’t been the best thus far.

Chris Paul celebrates after scoring for the Golden State Warriors

Then again, the Warriors are a win-now team, and they cannot afford to wait and rest on their laurels while they figure things out. That means they could be looking at making some moves if they don’t improve their record ahead of the trade deadline.

Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody figure to be the Warriors’ most valuable trade assets at the moment, and while it could be tough to envision which star-caliber player they could target with that set of assets, they’ve proven that they won’t hesitate to be uber-aggressive to overhaul the roster if need be.

see also

Former Warriors GM Bob Myers explains how to deal with Draymond Green

Green’s return will give them a big boost defensively and allow them to deploy their usual rotations. But don’t be shocked if they’re tangled up in multiple trade rumors if they don’t turn things around soon.