Since the win against the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night, the Golden State Warriors have not had the best of seasons so far. Despite being the favorites to repeat, the defending champions are yet to deliver on their expectations. Moreover, their December road trip (1-5) has been a complete disaster. Consequently, a veteran member of the Warriors squad, which is currently in desperate need of Stephen Curry, recently issued a bold statement despite ongoing struggles.
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4x NBA champion Draymond Green had some strong words for his squad after the blowout loss against the Brooklyn Nets. However, the former Defensive Player of the Year also made some optimistic predictions regarding their playoff matchups.
Draymond Green issues a bold warning for the top teams in the West
The Golden State Warriors finished their road trip in New York. However, they suffered a blowout loss in both games. On Wednesday, they lost to the New York Knicks (132-84) by over 30 points; and on Thursday, they lost to the Brooklyn Nets (143-113) by suffering a massive blowout. Following their loss to the Nets, Draymond Green made a blunt assessment of the Warriors’ struggles.
According to an ESPN article, Green harped on the disastrous road trip and the struggles faced by the team in the Friday practice. In an honest admission, Green said, “I think we are very fragile.”?Moreover, the 4x NBA champion attributed the team’s mental struggles and lack of confidence as the primary cause of their state. The veteran defender also claimed that the return of injured players isn’t going to fix their problems overnight. But besides the brazen admissions of their shortcomings, Green also made a bullish claim for their playoff future.?
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When asked about the Warriors’ chances in the play-in tournament, Green issued a bold warning to the top teams of the West. He proclaimed, “I feel sorry for the 1- or 2-seeds if we’re in that situation….I think we would be fine.”?
The bold claim of the Warriors’ veteran star shouldn’t be taken lightly by the Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies, who are the 1- and 2- seeds, respectively. Stephen Curry and the Warriors aren’t strangers to such shortcomings in the regular season.
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Last year, they lost nine of 11 games in an ugly stretch before the playoffs due to missed time from Curry and Green. However, in the playoffs, the Warriors fired in all cylinders and dominated the West to reach the Finals. Similarly, in the Finals, Curry and the Warriors bested the Boston Celtics and became world champions. Curry also bagged the first Finals MVP of his illustrious career in the process.
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