Draymond Green singles out notable teammate as a bad defender

The Warriors have struggled to a 6-9 start. Maybe that's because the team's relationships are struggling.

Golden State is winless on the road and 27th in the league in defense. According to ESPN's Kendra Andrews, both Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr think the team is lacking togetherness. Kerr said the Warriors lack a "commitment to the group." For a team that usually has excellent communication and connectivity on defense, it's a marked change this year. And some of the disconnection is evident in what Draymond Green said about the team's good defenders.

Andrews writes: 

"Green leans forward and starts counting on his fingers. 'Klay Thompson. Andrew Wiggins. Kevon Looney. Stephen Curry, myself,' he says, rattling off the starters. He continues: 'Donte DiVincenzo. Jonathan Kuminga. Moses Moody.'

"Green is listing the players he believes are good individual defenders with potential for more."

Notably absent among those eight players listed? Jordan Poole, whom Draymond punched during a preseason practice. Now, no one would confuse Poole with a good defensive player, but it's telling that Draymond essentially singled him out to an ESPN reporter. Of the 14 players under contract, Green left out only six: Two rookies, near-rookie Jonathan Kuminga, veterans Andre Iguodala (who hasn't played), JaMychal Green and Poole. It feels intentional.

There are other factors at work, of course. The team lost Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II in the offseason, not to mention the defensively underrated Nemanja Bjelica. The Warriors have also sacrificed practice time and repetition of drills in order to get their veterans more rest, which comes at the expense of the younger players. But part of the missing communication may simply be that Draymond has lost some authority.

Andrews reported on "The Lowe Post" podcast that no one on the Warriors talks about the punch, but the team was very unhappy that Draymond "stoked the fire when he put out that documentary" ("The Countdown" on TNT). While Green publicly apologized to Poole and expressed contrition, in the documentary, his tone was very different.