Getty Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
Things have gone downhill fast for the Golden State Warriors. After a rocky start to the season, they brought things back a bit, but an injury to star point guard Stephen Curry has them in a rough spot once again. Now, their only goal will be to keep their heads above water.
With Curry out, Draymond Green will have to take over as the primary leader of the team. He recently called out the Warriors for being in a “fragile” place, urging them to improve their mental toughness during their struggles this season.
“You start going through these things and then you start believing them. Once you start believing them, it becomes who you are,” Green said, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. “The only way to break them is by being mentally tough.”
Their win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Christmas Day was a step in the right direction, but they still have a long way to go if they want to compete for another championship this season. Despite the victory, they still find themselves on the outside of the Play-In picture looking in.
Curry has been a crucial part of the team’s success this year, and they’re going to have to scramble with him on the sidelines. Jordan Poole will have a chance to pick up the slack a bit, but Curry’s presence will undoubtedly be missed.
He won’t be back in action for a few weeks, meaning the Warriors will need to remain in the playoff race while he’s out, or else they could hurt their chances to make the postseason in the long run.
Draymond Green Warns Potential Playoff Opponent
Last year, Golden State was in a solid position heading into the postseason. They had homecourt advantage and were able to utilize it at every turn. But this year, it would take a big-time turnaround for them to earn homecourt advantage in the playoffs.
Despite that, Green still remains confident in their chances. He sent out a warning to whatever top seed they end up playing in the first round of the playoffs.
“I feel bad for whoever the one or two seed is…” Green said, as relayed by ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. “Frankly, if I was sitting in the one or two seed with [Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, himself, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole] coming into my building — I don’t want to be there.”
Steve Kerr Says Warriors Have Hit ‘Rock Bottom’
Green may have unwavering confidence in his team regardless of their seed, but right now, things are looking bleak. Head coach Steve Kerr said that, while the team is still in good spirits, they have seemingly hit rock bottom.
“Our spirit is fine,” Kerr said. “Our energy is good. The guys are committed. We’re just right now at that point that pretty much everybody goes during in an 82-game season, most teams anyway, [where] you hit rock bottom with injuries, schedule, fatigued, whatever it is. You take it on the chin. The whole key is how you respond to that. I have no doubt our guys will respond, but we’ve got to clean up the execution. Turnovers are a killer.”
