After a frustrating home loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Golden State Warriors legend Draymond Green suggested that offense isn’t the problem and that their lack of defensive intensity is a sign of a soft team.
After their blockbuster trade in February for six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, Golden State looked like a serious title contender until Stephen Curry’s playoff injury derailed those plans. The expectation was that they would get off to a fast start in the first full year with Butler. However, that has not been the case.
While they looked good early, the Warriors have struggled in recent weeks, and they have lost four of their last five games, including to the Rockets at home on Thanksgiving Eve. Their defense has been average, but surprisingly, their always elite offense has been bottom 10 in the league to start the season.
That would seem like a bigger issue in today’s offense-driven game. However, Jimmy Butler suggested last week that their defense was the problem.
“We’re just not guarding anybody,” Butler said after an upset loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. “From what I can tell, I haven’t been here long, but that’s never been the formula here, not to win a championship. You’ve got to take every matchup personal. Yeah, help is gonna be there, but we got to do way better guarding on the ball.”
Draymond Green: ‘Our Defense is S***’
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Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Well, Butler is not the only Warriors veteran who is unhappy with the type of defense his teammates are playing.
“Our defense is s***” Green said after their setback to the Rockets… “It’s not necessarily the numbers. How do you feel when you’re out there? It’s just letdown after letdown. It’s bigger than the numbers. Defense is about demeanor. If there’s letdown, it kills your demeanor, it kills your bravado. Then you’re just a soft team.”
The Warriors have a defensive rating of 112.2 after their first 20 games, which is 10th 10th-best in the NBA. However, their offensive rating of 113.2 ranks 22nd.
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After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos