Draymond Green Says 'Our Defense Sucks,' Calls Out Warriors After Loss to Nuggets
Draymond Green was not happy with the Golden State Warriors' defensive performance in Friday's 129-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
In a blunt assessment after the game, Green said "our defense sucks" right now.
"And we're 5-5. And they go hand in hand," he added.
Jimmy Butler echoed Green's sentiments in his postgame comments, telling reporters they need to show "some more effort" on the defensive end of the court.
One of the reasons where was a lot of optimism around the Warriors entering this season was the strength of their defense.
Going back to last season, starting with Butler's first game with the team on Feb. 8, the Warriors had the best defensive rating in the NBA over their final 31 games.
Golden State went 23-8 during that stretch, which equates to a 61-win pace over 82 games.
Through the first 10 games this season, the Warriors rank 16th in defensive rating and have a 0.0 net rating. They have lost four of their last five games and sit at 5-5.
The schedule-makers didn't do the Warriors many favors by giving them two games against the Nuggets in the first three weeks of the season. Denver has averaged 130 points per game in those matchups, though Golden State won the first matchup in overtime on Oct. 23.
Denver has two of the three highest-scoring games against the Warriors this season. The Portland Trail Blazers put up 139 points on their defense on Oct. 24.
The Warriors have allowed at least 120 points five times in its first 10 games. They only did that 16 times during the entire 2024-25 season.
One thing that will help Golden State going forward, though not necessarily on defense, is getting Stephen Curry back. He has missed the last two games with an illness.
Head coach Steve Kerr hasn't said when the team expects Curry to return. The Warriors are off today before hosting the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
