The Golden State Warriors are 20 games into the season, and the team's frustration has officially boiled over. Following a 104-100 loss to the Houston Rockets, veterans Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green issued two scathing assessments that sent a clear message to the entire locker room: The problems are real, and they are no longer willing to sugarcoat them.
Butler broke out first. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, standing in front of the media, instead of relaxing out of frustration, he exploded.
“We're not going out,” Butler said. “We don't trust the scouting reports. We let anybody do whatever they want. Open shots, getting in the paint, free throws. It's just sad.”
Minutes later, Green issued an even more damning indictment of Golden State's mentality and defensive identity.
“Our defense was terrible,” Green said. “Because it doesn't have to be numbers. How do you feel when you're on the field? It's just disappointment after disappointment. It's bigger than numbers, you know what I'm saying? Defense is about grace. If one disappointment after another, then it kills your grace, it kills your bravado, then you're just a weak team.
“It's more important than numbers. Like, how do other teams feel when you play defense? And right now, they don't feel the power. Even if you get stopped. Yes, we have great coaches and we're going to have a good plan. But what about the power? We don't have that.”
What stung the most for the Warriors was the insistence of both veterans that planning and preparation were not the issue. Butler takes aim at scouting committee, defends Steve Kerr's staff:
“I just think we need to do what we're supposed to do as players out there,” Butler said. “I don't care what Steve says. It's not his responsibility, and it's not the coach's responsibility. None of you can see (the board), but it's somewhere in the back. Yeah, they have everything we're going to do written on it, and they put us in position to succeed. We went over it the day before, that day. We've got to go out and execute, man.”
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