Draymond Green highlighted the need for greater discipline following Golden State’s 110-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at Chase Center. “I think it’s just a matter of staying focused… you lose your focus. It’s the NBA, so I think it’s just a matter of having a better focus,” he said regarding recent lapses.
Green praised Charles Bassey’s contributions in his second game with the Warriors. “Very live body… really good shot blocker. He rebounds the ball well. Lob threat, great finisher around the rim. He’s got really good hands,” Green said. He added he had followed Bassey’s career since his Western Kentucky days and was impressed by his skill set.
On the return of Stephen Curry, Green noted the immediate boost to team performance and confidence. “Pretty good… he makes the game a lot easier for everybody,” he said. “The spacing is different. Obviously, he draws two and three people. So just having different reads to make different things opening up… the confidence level of our group is probably the biggest difference.”
Green also discussed how Curry’s presence benefits teammates like De’Anthony Melton. “All of a sudden, you’re not standing in front of the defense the whole play… you get more open looks, and it’s just not kind of the same weight to carry,” he said. Melton scored 21 points in the game, while Brandin Podziemski added 20.
Reflecting on individual recognition, Green spoke on the possibility of making an all-defense team. “It mean a lot… anytime you can be next to those guys, you got to be doing something well… to get next put my name next to that list of guys will be extremely special,” he said.
The veteran also addressed the team’s turnover issues, particularly in the third quarter where they committed nine of 17 total. “It just goes back to the focus level… coming out of the locker room with the focus level after the half that you come into the game with,” Green explained.
Regarding the play-in format, Green expressed concerns for teams stuck in 10th place. “If you could be stuck in 10th and lose all the last 15 games of your season and you could be stuck in 10th, it ain’t working,” he said, noting the system was initially intended to prevent tanking.
Green’s comments on league discipline highlighted inconsistencies between player and team fines. “Everybody love money… we all know everybody take it. But you’ve seen two fines… My math serves me correctly… that ain’t been fine,” he said.
Golden State improved to 36-42, all but locking in the No. 10 seed for next week’s play-in tournament. Curry scored 17 points with two four-point plays, while Maxime Raynaud led Sacramento with 17 points and eight rebounds.
The Warriors will host the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday, while the Kings host Golden State on Friday.
