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After a disappointing loss in Game 1, Kendrick Perkins believes Draymond Green needs to step up the most for the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors lost to the Boston Celtics 120-108 despite entering the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead. They were outscored 40-16 in the fourth.
Draymond is not known for his scoring, but he made a mess of the opportunities he got on Thursday night. Of his 12 attempts from the field, he converted on only two to finish the game with four points.
Unfortunately, he was also not the creative genius fans have grown accustomed to. He registered only five assists and fouled out after 38 minutes.
A lot needs to change if the Warriors hope to win another title. On "NBA Today," Malika Andrews asked which player needs to step up the most for the Warriors, and Perkins said:
(From 2:00)
"A lot of people will say, Jordan Poole. I just think this is not the series for Jordan Poole, just for the simple fact that they have too many perimeter defenders, the Celtics do.
"I'm going back to Draymond Green. Al Horford is doing what Draymond Green needs to do for the Warriors. He's wide open, they're leaving him open, they're denying the wings now.
"That's the recipe that they were doing in the second quarter, and that's what they did in the fourth quarter. And he's hesitant to take those shots. He has to take those shots, he has to be aggressive, he has to make those shots.
"It has to be if Draymond Green can be the Draymond of old. If Draymond Green can't be the Draymond of old, the Warriors do not have a chance of winning this series."
Outside of Green, Klay Thompson's production on both ends will be needed to provide a boost for the Warriors. Although he is still not 100%, he has shown flashes of the old Thompson.
Draymond Green believes the Golden State Warriors will be fine
Green had a disappointing game, to say the least but he felt they were within striking distance. While he is not their go-to guy to put up points, he does possess the intangibles that help others achieve that.
Regardless, Green does not think the Celtics' role players will get as hot as they did from beyond the arc in Game 1. With that in mind, he strongly believes the Warriors will be fine. In his postgame presser, he said:
"I think they stayed within striking distance, and they made shots late.
"We'll be fine. We'll figure out the way we can stop them from getting those threes, and take them away. I don't think it was a rhythm thing. We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes. So, we'll be fine."
The Warriors will host the Celtics for Game 2 on Sunday night and will be looking to get back in the series. Another loss could prove detrimental to their championship hopes.
