“So their growing pains are not so magnified” - Draymond Green passionately defends Golden State Warriors’ young core
Draymond Green recently opened up about the young core on the Golden State Warriors roster. He reminisced about how he, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson established themselves as underdogs in the NBA.
However, he understands that things are different for guys like Jordan Poole given that they've recently joined a dynasty at this point. He told reporters:
"One of the things I've spoken about with the young guys is the tough spot that they're in...Jonathan Kuminga is the seventh pick, Moses Moody is the 14th pick, James Wiseman is the second pick. Those guys are usually on teams that suck and they can do whatever they need to do to improve.
Green continued:
"That's not their situation. They're expected to contribute at a championship level in Year 1 last year and Year 2 this year, and Year 1 and a quarter for James Wiseman. Like, you're expected to contribute at a championship level."
"Those types of guys usually are on teams that suck."
Draymond passionately defended the Warriors' youngsters, who he believes are in a tough situation at such a young age on a championship team https://t.co/jxixaGZYkE
Why does Draymond Green think that the Warriors' Young Core is struggling?
According to NBC Sports, despite being selected by the Warriors in the lottery, the trio of Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and Moses Moody have had difficulty adjusting to their new surroundings. While Moody is currently outside the rotation, Wiseman has been assigned to the G League with no timeframe for his return.
Although Kuminga is on the field, statistically speaking, he isn't having the impact the Golden State Warriors anticipated. Draymond Green is aware of the challenging scenario the players are in as they attempt to learn how to play in the NBA while participating in games with significant stakes.
Last season, Kuminga and Moody were able to accomplish that accomplishment by assisting the Warriors in capturing the 2022 NBA title. However, the Warriors made the decision to let Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Damion Lee walk into free agency in the hopes that the young players would be prepared to step up and fill the void.
The Warriors know they can't afford to waste Curry's prime years of his career, so they will be patient with Kuminga, Wiseman, and Moody. Winning now is the objective.
Although the three young players might not be able to contribute as much as first anticipated, Steve Kerr and Draymond Green will make sure that their progress doesn't stop.