Draymond Green Calls Warriors a 'Bad' Defensive Team

The Golden State Warriors are not where they need to be

Joey Linn | Oct 26, 2022

The Golden State Warriors have started their season an even 2-2, which is not where they would like to be. While it is still early, the team expects to repeat as champions, and those habits need to be instilled sooner than later. One of the glaring issues so far for Golden State has been their defense, and Draymond Green put it bluntly when he said the Warriors are simply a "bad" defensive team right now.

Draymond says the Warriors are a "decent" offensive team and a "bad" defensive team right now:

"The commitment to defense isn't there. That's something we have to be better at and it starts with me."
— Alex Espinoza IV (@AlexEspinozaIV) October 26, 2022

Through four games, the Warriors are ranked 22nd in defensive rating, surrendering 114.8 points per 100 possessions. In comparison, the team was 2nd in defensive rating last year, giving up just 106.6 points per 100 possessions. The numbers affirm Draymond's statement that the Warriors are indeed bad defensively so far this season.

The loss of Gary Payton II was expected to hurt defensively, but the team's issues on that end go beyond what Payton provides. Relying on youth much more this year than they were last year, there is an element of inexperience that is incredibly evident so far for Golden State. These are the growing pains that occur while developing youth, but they are also the growing pains that are necessary for young players to get the appropriate reps.

While a sense of urgency is important for the Warriors, patience is equally as important while they work through their defensive shortcomings.

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Published Oct 26, 2022

JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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