Draymond Green didn’t sugarcoat it.
After the Golden State Warriors were steamrolled 129–104 by the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, the four-time NBA champion unleashed a scathing postgame critique of his team’s defense — and himself.
“Our defense sucks,” Green said bluntly. “And we’re 5-5. And they go hand in hand.”
The Warriors’ defensive collapse was on full display in Denver. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic didn’t even need the fourth quarter to dominate, finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists — just one shy of a triple-double. The Nuggets shot 56.1% overall and drained 16-of-33 three-pointers, effortlessly exposing Golden State’s defensive lapses.
It was the Warriors’ fourth loss in their last five games, a far cry from their promising 4-1 start.
Green Takes the Blame — and Demands Accountability
“I’ve failed,” Green admitted postgame. “If our defense looks as [expletive] as it does, I’ve failed. So you can send as many messages as you want — until we do it, I’m failing at it.”
Green, widely regarded as the emotional backbone of Golden State’s dynasty, didn’t stop there. He called out his teammates for a lack of defensive pride and individual effort.
“No. 1, it’s taking the challenge — a personal challenge,” Green said. “You’ve got to take the personal challenge to guard your man. Then if you get beat, there’s help. But right now we’re just relying on the help to beat everyone. When you don’t give effort, then help can’t get there.”
He emphasized that elite defense begins with individual accountability, not just schemes or rotations. “It starts individually. Everybody must take the challenge of guarding their man, and then you build out from there.”
Missing Pieces, Missing Effort
The Warriors were without Stephen Curry for the second straight game as he recovers from the flu. Newly-signed veteran Al Horford also sat out for load management, his fourth missed game of the season. That left Green to man the middle against Jokic, a near-impossible assignment even with help from Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis off the bench.
Denver’s backcourt punished Golden State just as badly. Jamal Murray sliced through the defense for 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, adding eight assists, while the Nuggets’ bench stretched the lead to as much as 28.
All Warriors players finished with a negative in the plus-minus column. That tells you how disconnected the team was on both ends.
Youth Movement Stumbles as Defense Disintegrates
Golden State’s young core struggled mightily. Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga each shot 3-for-10 from the field, while Moses Moody went 1-for-9. None provided the spark or defensive intensity Green demanded.
With Curry sidelined and Horford resting, the Warriors’ lack of communication, rotations, and rebounding turned the game into a clinic for the defending champions.
Green’s Message: Play Hard, Defend Harder
“I think we need to be a hard-playing team,” Green said. “We need to be great on the defensive end and we need to be hard-playing. If those two things happen, everything else falls into place. But we must be a high-energy, high-effort team and we must be a great defensive team.
“If we can’t reach those milestones,” he warned, “we don’t stand a chance.”
A Wake-Up Call for Golden State
The Warriors entered the 2025 NBA season with championship expectations after retooling their roster and adding veteran experience. But their recent performances tell a different story — one of defensive breakdowns, inconsistent effort, and fading identity.
With the team now sitting at 5-5 and their once-elite defense in shambles, Green’s public challenge may prove to be a pivotal moment. The message was unmistakable: if the Warriors are serious about contending again, accountability and defense must return to the forefront.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Draymond Green Takes Blame, Rips Warriors After Nuggets Loss appeared first on Heavy Sports.