Getty Golden State Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Klay Thompson refuted Draymond Green‘s statement on the Golden State Warriors team chemistry last season.
“I think every year is great,” Thompson told reporters after sinking the game-winner in the Warriors’ 102-101 win last November 1. “You’re in the NBA and you get to put shots up and play defense for a living? I don’t even pay too much mind to that.”
“I think obviously chemistry is great this year, but every time I put a Warriors uniform on I’m gloating. It’s just a dream come true, no matter how many years you play the NBA is a place where dreams are met. I think this year is great chemistry-wise, but last year was good as well. Every time you step into an NBA facility to get to work, I feel great. I don’t think too much about chemistry, I think winning solves all.”
Thompson’s statement came after Green claimed that last year’s group was not fun.
“Last year was horse s—. It was hard to come to work,” Green told reporters. “Not fun. This year, you see the joy on guys’ faces when they come into the building. You’ve got guys staying over two and three hours after, just sitting around talking. Getting here two or three hours early just to be here. You start to see that and you’re like, ‘OK, this is a group that likes being together.’”
The Green-Jordan Poole feud, which boiled over a preseason punching, fractured the Warriors’ chemistry last season. Their season ended in a second-round playoff loss to their long-time rival LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers.
It marked the first time the Warriors lost in the playoffs under Steve Kerr.
This season, the vibes are different, according to Green. Their 4-1 start, including an unbeaten record on the road, gives credence to that.
Davion Mitchell Gives Props to Klay Thompson
Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell was left in no man’s land in the Warriors’ final sequence which led to Thompson sinking the game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds left.
“Honestly, I can’t do any better than that,” said the 6-foot-2 Mitchell of his defense against the 6-foot-6 Thompson’s game-winning jumper. “I’m not tall enough to block it, I just tried my hardest. He got to his spot, he’s just one of the greatest for a reason.”
It was the Warriors’ second straight win against the Kings this season, and their fourth consecutive win since their opening night loss to the Phoenix Suns.
“[The Warriors] are a good team,” Mitchell said. “I think we stayed neck-and-neck with them throughout the whole game. They had to make some changes because we were playing really good defensively, and offensively, we were getting into our stuff, we were getting good shots, but kudos to them.”
The Chris Paul Effect
Chris Paul only had two points against the Kings, but he handed out eight assists as he continued to embrace the Warriors’ Sixth Man role.
Since he was bumped off the starting lineup upon Green’s return, the Warriors bench has outscored their opponents by 44 points.
“Chris is like a pilot,” rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis said after his breakthrough performance in their win in New Orleans last October 30. “He’ll be calling for the play, calling for the ball screen when he is still at half-court. He makes the game really easy, just being able to dive and make plays off him. It’s great. Playing with Steph [Curry], having to go to the ball, being open for the short roll, and being able to make plays out of that, it makes your life a lot easier.”
The Warriors acquired the 12-time All-Star in the offseason in a package headlined by Poole.