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The Golden State Warriors have been a disaster this year, and their defense is the main reason for that. They are nowhere close to the defensive team they were last season, and Draymond Green is tired of seeing his team lose.
The reality is that the Warriors can be extremely lethal one night and then be lackadaisical the next. Many analysts called it a "championship hangover" when the season began, but now the Dubs are entering the All-Star break with a .500 record (29-29). So the hangover notion doesn't hold true.
The Warriors were 42-17 before the All-Star break last season and totaled 29 losses all year. This season, they have 29 losses already with over 20 games to go before the postseason. The West is wide open so they can still make the playoffs, but if they continue to be abysmal on defense, that looks unlikely.
Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr are clearly upset with the direction of the team. Green is arguably the best defender in the league, but he has to watch his teammates put in a lackluster effort while guarding the opposition.
After the loss to the LA Clippers on Tuesday (February 14), the team hit the panic button. As reported by The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Green spoke about the Golden State Warriors' defensive struggles:
"Our defense isn't very good. 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."
Draymond Green recognizes that the team needs to improve defensively as a unit and not individually.
The Golden State Warriors were tied for the best-ranked defense last season but are now a distant 21st in that category. Green, being the leader he's, didn't point fingers but rather took the blame, even though he has been the only consistent defender on the squad. He continued:
"I can be better. I'm just as big a culprit as anybody else. I'm not going to point the finger. If you're a leader at something, and you're failing, it's your fault. You don't need to look any further. … It's the will to defend, to stop and guard your man, to sink and help and trap the box and rotate."
Green continued:
"Defense is all one or two steps extra. I'm going to take that extra step to get there or not. That's all will … we don't have that as a team. You can have that as individuals. I can have that myself. Loon can have that. But if you don't collectively have that."
The Golden State Warriors are ninth in the West with a 29-29 record. They are 22-7 at home and 7-22 on the road, the first time such a disparity in NBA history has been seen.
The Dubs play like a juggernaut at home but turn into a lottery team on the road. Hence, Green knows that the team is capable but just needs to focus down the stretch.
Are Golden State Warriors optimistic about their season moving forward?
The Golden State Warriors have the championship recipe. They just need to follow it. The disparity in their home and road records is alarming, to say the least.
Dubs fans will rant on social media that the team is simply not serious when they play on the road. It almost feels like they expect the opponents to bow down, being the defending champs, but on the contrary, opposing players can't wait to slay the dragon.
Coach Steve Kerr reckons the Golden State Warriors have what it takes. He emphasized that they have an elite offense but can't stop the ball at the other end of the floor. As reported by The Athletic's Anthony Slater, he said:
"We're fine offensively; we're no. 1 in the league in assists. We have our identity. I'm not worried about our offense. But we've got to get stops. …Point of attack. We're getting beat on penetration. We're giving up middle a lot. When you get beat middle, there's too much to cover. Then we're fouling a lot. … We were the no. 2 ranked defense in the league a year ago. I think we have it in us."
Golden State Warriors' veterans agree with coach Kerr on the sense of urgency. Klay Thompson said:
"Now is the time to get away and come back with the mindset of getting on a really good win streak. … If we want to get to that championship level, we gotta be a top-10 defense again."
Green added:
"It's now or never. We're at .500 at the break. Middle-of-the-pack team with those middle-of-the-pack stats. So you gotta come out the break and win; do it at a high level or you go home in April."
Only time will tell if the Golden State Warriors turn their season around and perform like the unstoppable team they're known to be. They have 24 games left before the playoffs, and their superstar Steph Curry is expected to be back in March. They need to ensure they're in the top six seeds and not fighting for life in the play-in tournament.
Guess the Lakers players!
