“We Weren’t That Good”: Warriors’ Draymond Green Reflects on Substandard 2020 NBA Season

The NBA season was unlike any other this year. We saw the season going on hiatus, then resuming in the unique setting of the Orlando Bubble, and continued to watch teams take us by surprise. While we were surprised to see the Miami Heat and Lakers reach the NBA Finals, there is one more team who’s performance came as a big disappointment. After five consecutive trips into the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors finished last in the 2019-20 league.

With that, the Warriors’ center Draymond Green has some views on the roller coaster ride they went through.

The injury-ridden Golden State Warriors

The Warriors’ won three out of their 5 NBA titles, but their dynasty got lost in the crowd this season. With key players being injury-plagued, the team had nobody to bank on. Having Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant was supposed to be their lethal weapon, but everything went downhill.

While playing the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, fate had more tragedy in store for them than that loss. Durant ruptured his right Achilles Tendon during Game 5. Then, Thompson suffered from a knee injury that led to the two stars being benched for the entire year. What’s worse is that soon after, Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets in free agency.

If that wasn’t enough, Curry also succumbed to an injury before the season was halted. “I think the one thing people don’t realize is that when you play the sport we play — or any sport, for that matter — when you get hurt, you don’t leave the court and your life just resumes as normal,” Green said. “You leave the court, and you’re still hurt. So I care about that guy and where he’s going to be mentally, because he has to live that every day. He has to go through the extremes of the rehab process.”

No entry into the Orlando Bubble

On not being invited to the bubble along with 22 teams, Green explained, “Early on, when I realized that we weren’t that good, I tried to readjust my mindset and accept the reality,” he said. “But losing is still losing.”

Thus, Green had adjusted to this harsh reality. Although it looks like things can still turn around for the Warriors. With the team back to health, they will come back bigger and better next season.