OKLAHOMA CITY – After the sixth consecutive road loss of the struggling people Golden State WarriorsHis vocal power forward, draymond greenWas asked about the biggest difference in the way he played last season jimmy butler Business and now.
“I think everyone was determined to win [back then] And to do so in any way possible,” Green said. “At this point, it doesn’t seem so.”
After trading for Butler in February, the Warriors went 23–8 to finish the regular season. This season, they started with a road win Los Angeles Lakers And took a 5-1 lead.
But the abbreviated, road-heavy portion of the schedule has exhausted the Giants and exposed flaws, most recently a blowout 25-point loss. Nuggets in denver and tuesday night Shocking defeat of 126-102 But Oklahoma CityWhich led to Green’s comments.
“I think everyone in this league has their own personal agenda,” Green said. “But you have to make those personal agendas work within the confines of the team. If that doesn’t work, you have to get rid of your agenda or eventually the agenda itself will cause someone to get rid of you.”
When ESPN contacted Green after the post-game news conference for more clarity, he said that “everybody” has to take a share of the accountability for the recent slump.
“That’s what this road trip is for,” Butler said. “Everyone has to be honest with themselves. Everyone has to be honest with everyone else.”
When the word “agenda” enters the mix, the attention turns to the Warriors’ two youngest core members who have been vocal about their desire for more – third-year guards Brandin Podziemski and the fifth year onwards Jonathan Kuminga,
Podziemski made several comments at the beginning of the season about his long-term career ambitions, including answering a question in a press conference about whether he wanted to be as great as steph curryPodziemski said he “wants to be better than them,” an answer that caught some eyebrows and continues to be referenced by many within the organization, Podziemski’s numbers (12,0 points, 4,7 rebounds, 3,1 assists) are relatively stable from a season ago,
Kuminga’s contract dispute continued to loom over the franchise throughout the summer. During that time, Kuminga made clear his ambition for a more consistent and higher-usage role. In 12 games, he has played a total of 348 minutes, the highest for the team.
Everything was humming for Kuminga during a 5–1 start, leading Warriors coach Steve Kerr to label him a strong starter due to his defensive activity, rebounding and improved passing. But Kuminga, like much of the roster, has faltered through the first 11 days of November.
Ball security has been a particular issue. Kuminga had five turnovers in 24 minutes in the loss to the Thunder, his fourth game of at least four turnovers in the last seven. Kerr and Butler identified teamwide turnover numbers as a major issue.
“I can’t make turnovers myself,” Butler said. “JK can’t have turnovers. … We’re the ones who have to keep our turnovers down.”
“I think everyone in this league has their own personal agenda. But you have to make those personal agendas work within the confines of the team. If that doesn’t work, you have to get rid of your agenda or eventually that agenda will cause someone to get rid of you.”
draymond green
But the Warriors’ position often reverts to Curry’s position. His mini-recession and recent illness precipitated this decline. He hit only 16 of his 42 shots on the road milwaukee bucks And Indiana PacersFollowing that trip, he suffered an illness that caused him to sit out three matches,
Curry bounced back against the Thunder but admitted that his rhythm and conditioning were compromised. Curry made 4 of 13 shots and committed five fouls in 20 ineffective minutes against the defending champions, including the first flagrant foul of his 17-year career.
“I kind of fell [the agenda thing] A little bit by myself,” Curry said. “I’m trying to push myself. But the biggest problem is that when you lose you start looking around and finding out what the problem is. Commitment to winning simply involves running on the court, rebounding, taking care of the basketball. It’s not really about shots going in or not going in.”
The schedule is not easy for the Warriors. They had a late-night flight to San Antonio for the second half of a back-to-back to face the surge. Spurs On Wednesday.
Kerr said Green was “concussed” and would not play. Curry’s status is also in question, although he said he is focused on staying out there. This is the second game of a six-game trip.
