Golden State Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green doesn’t think that everyone on the team is committed to winning this season. Through 12 games of action, the Warriors are 6-6 and just 1-6 on the road. This obviously isn’t acceptable for a team that was expected to be in the thick of the contender conversation in the Western Conference this season.
Golden State’s latest loss came to the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder, 126-102, and afterwards Green called out the team for a perceived lack of commitment to winning.
"I think everybody was committed to winning [back then] and doing that any way possible," Green said. "Right now, it doesn't feel that way."
Green didn’t name names, but he delivered a message about personal agendas, and how those agendas need to fit within the framework of the team for there to be collective success.
"I think everyone has a personal agenda in this league," Green said. "But you have to make those personal agendas work within the team confines. If it doesn't work, you kind of got to get rid of your agenda or eventually the agenda is the cause of someone getting rid of you."
After missing three games with an illness, Steph Curry returned against the Thunder and admitted that even he fell into an agenda mindset as he tried to find his rhythm, although Curry is almost assuredly not who Green was referring to in his comments.
"I kind of fell into [the agenda thing] a little bit myself," Curry said. "Trying to get myself going. But the bigger issue when you lose is you start to look around and figure out what's the issue. Commitment to winning is just running the floor, rebounding, taking care of the basketball. It's not really about shots going in or not."
Green is Golden State’s vocal leader, so he’s going to make his feelings known. But, improvement often comes from within, and Green should probably look in the mirror before pointing the finger elsewhere, as his own play has left a lot to be desired this season. Against Oklahoma City he posted just 3 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists.