This season has not been the standard display of excellence we’re used to seeing from the Golden State Warriors. In fact, in the first half of the season, they’ve been one of the most confusing teams in the league with an abysmal 3-16 road record.
Admittedly, it’s hard to find just one point where it all went wrong for the Warriors, but it’s hard to deny that Draymond’s pre-season punch to his own teammate, Jordan Poole, set the tone for how the rest of this campaign would go.
Up until recently, Draymond has done his best to avoid looking back on the whole situation. But in a recent chat with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, he finally revealed how that ordeal impacted his relationship with JP.
“We got to work everyday together. Our lockers are right next to each other. We ride the same busses together. We change in the same locker room on the road together. None of that has changed. But did it change our relationship? Of course, absolutely. That’s still a work in progress. I will always be willing to do that work because I was wrong. And so in saying all of that, yes, it has definitely been allowed to move forward and we have moved forward. But is it different? 100%. And it’s not that I expected it to be the same…”
“Did it change our relationship? Of course. Absolutely. That’s still a work in progress.”
Draymond Green on Jordan Poole
(via @TaylorRooks) pic.twitter.com/Rnz2VGq5ng
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 13, 2023
We still don’t know the full details of the incident, but it was a pretty big deal for the Warriors. As it was all going down, Steve Kerr went so far as to call it his greatest challenge as a head coach.
Draymond and the others have since tried to play it down, but there is a sense that the moment may be part of the reason for their current struggles.
Did Draymond Green’s Punch Break The Defending Champions?
After winning the title last summer, the Warriors came into this campaign as the prohibitive favorites to win it all. It wasn’t until the altercation between Dray and Poole that they showed the first signs of cracking.
“It’s unfortunate it got leaked but those guys are all brothers, Jordan and Draymond,” said Klay Thompson. “I knew, with time, that it would heal all wounds. I know winning and just having fun cures all,” Thompson said. “We’re playing that brand of Warriors basketball again and once we continue to do so, I think it will just be a blip in the story.”
No matter how close Poole and Dray say they are, the Warriors have some deep internal problems that aren’t going to be solved overnight. Even with Stephen Curry back in the lineup, wins are not going to come easy.
Leading up to the playoffs, it will be up to Draymond and the rest of the Warriors’ core to make it work and find a way to win.
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