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Draymond Green was a team-worst -23 during the Warriors’ 119-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night at Chase Center, and he took responsibility for his poor performance a few hours later.
in the last “Draymond Green Show” Podcastwhich was recorded after Sunday’s game and released Monday, the Warriors forward took stock of his impact on teammate Klay Thompson and Nuggets center Nikola Jokić.
“Klay came off the bench shooting in the first half,” Green said. “And I think it’s up to me to do a better job of making sure he gets more touches in the second half. Even though our minutes don’t match up as much as they used to, I think it’s still my role on this team to make sure he gets more shots in the second half.”
Thompson scored 23 points in the first half, as the Warriors and Nuggets went into halftime tied 61-61. He wouldn’t score again and Golden State struggled to find consistent offense, even after Steph Curry got hot in the third quarter.
Green believes he needs to get more touches on Thompson, especially when his hand is hot. However, he admitted that Thompson’s move to the bench is a situation he is getting used to, as they are not on the court as much as they would be if they started together.
Thompson’s score would have boosted Golden State’s stagnant second-half offense, but Jokić’s dominance supersedes all outcomes and what-ifs.
“(Jokić’s) 32 (points), 16 (assists) and 16 (rebounds) gave me hell tonight,” Green said. “I’ve had my fair share of good matchups against Joker. He gave me complete and utter hell tonight. I had absolutely no response. And I’m going to laugh because you either laugh or cry. And then I’m going to laugh about it. Tonight I had absolutely no response.”
As Green explained, Jokić was unstoppable. The two-time NBA MVP winner shot 52.2 percent from the floor and seemingly could do no wrong for Denver.
The Warriors’ loss dropped them to 0-4 against the Nuggets in the 2023-24 NBA season. And although he chose to “laugh” at the poor outing, Green emphasized Golden State’s desire to get back on track.
“It was one of those games where you just have to throw out the trash,” Green said. “They are a very good team, that is why they are defending champions. I’m going to accept this loss, I’m going to flush it down the toilet and we’re going to move to Washington. Then we’ll get back on track and take a great road trip. “That’s what I’m shifting my focus to.”
The Warriors are 29-27 and 16-15 at home. They trail the Los Angeles Lakers (31-28) by a half-game for the No. 9 seed in the West and the Phoenix Suns (34-24) by four games for the coveted No. 6 seed.
Green will have a chance to make up for his poor performance when the Warriors travel to face Jordan Poole and the Wizards on Tuesday night.
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