Draymond Green returned to the Golden State Warriors rotation on Monday following his 16-game absence due to suspension and a return to game conditioning.
However, Green’s presence failed to have the uplifting effect most fans had been hoping for. He came off the bench during the team’s shock loss to an injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies team.
During his postgame press conference, Green discussed the Warriors’ need for a sense of urgency. He admitted the roster also needs to drop its bad habits before it’s too late. The Warriors have lost multiple games from winning positions this season and are a shadow of the team that has dominated the NBA for the past decade.
“You don’t win championships in June,” Green said. “It’s a process that you must go through. Teams that you see cheat the process never win. It’s a process from September, October, to June. So you never get to waste time. So, I never view this as “oh man, we’re at the halfway point, I’m getting a little concerned.” You gotta be concerned all the time. … No, I’m not worried we’re running out of time. We gotta build great habits, and right now, we have bad habits. And it starts with me getting suspended and all the foolishness. All those things matter. We gotta build better habits.”
There have been several reports the Warriors could explore the trade market before the Feb. 8 deadline. However, given the complexity of walking two timelines and figuring out which players to make available for a trade, there’s a chance this Warriors team remains the same for the rest of the season.
Draymond reflects on the Dubs' sense of urgency, and pressure to drop their "bad habits" before it's too late 🔽 pic.twitter.com/Jt5smGhbdt
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 16, 2024
Regardless of what the front office decides to do, the Warriors need change their fortunes, and quickly. Otherwise, it will be a battle to qualify for the playoffs, let alone contend for a championship.
