The Golden State Warriors dropped to the 10th seed in the Western Conference following a 120-99 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, and Draymond Green did not hold back when addressing the team’s direction.
“Damn. Did we? That sucks,” Green said when informed of the the team’s slide to the 10th place in the standings, capturing the urgency surrounding Golden State’s late-season push.
The veteran forward emphasized that improvement must start with fundamentals rather than expecting a turnaround once key players return.
“Just got to create good habits,” Green said. “Long as you create good habits, all works out. You ain’t creating good habits, ain’t going to be you can’t flip a switch in this league.”
Golden State has now lost six of its last seven games and is 6-13 since Stephen Curry was sidelined with a knee injury, a stretch that has exposed execution gaps on both ends.
Green pointed directly to defensive consistency and decision-making as priorities over the final stretch of the regular season.
“You want to be a good defensive team,” he said. “Play great as a team together, be on the trend offensively, making sure we’re making the right reads, trying to take care of the ball.”
Boston controlled the game early behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who combined for 39 first-half points, building a double-digit lead that Golden State never fully recovered from.
The Warriors briefly cut the deficit to 11 in the fourth quarter, but a 17-6 Celtics run closed the door, highlighting the execution gap Green referenced.
“Just put good efforts out there every time you step out there on the field,” Green added, reinforcing the need for consistency across possessions.
Beyond team performance, the four-time champion also reflected on player matchups and relationships, offering insight into his on-court mindset.
“Just a little fun,” Green said about in-game exchange with Jayson Tatum. “We talk a little bit out there having fun, enjoying the game. Nothing too crazy. We’ll never be nothing crazy. It’s my brother.”
He also spoke about facing Tatum coming off Achilles injury, noting both respect and competitiveness.
“He looks incredible and it’s amazing to see him back out there on the floor,” Green said. “You’re talking about a guy who loves basketball, and they get taken away, so I’m happy as hell to see him back out there.”
At the same time, Green kept the competitive edge intact.
“I told him before the game he wasn’t going to score,” he said. “He wanted that last shot. I was happy it bounced out.”
Green finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists, but the Warriors shot just 40% from the field and 23% from three-point range, numbers that underline his emphasis on habits and execution.
With road games ahead and playoff positioning tightening, Golden State’s margin for error continues to shrink.
