Warriors' Green: 'I wouldn't say we're not fighting, but we could fight more'
Draymond Green wasn't in the most pleasant mood after the Golden State Warriors' Game 3 loss on Tuesday, telling a reporter he was off base in questioning if the Dubs needed to "pump each other up."
On Wednesday, the struggling forward changed his tune a bit during media availability.
"This isn't the time to be quiet," Green told reporters. "Everybody should speak up. You be quiet now, you'll be home in a couple days."
You can probably excuse Green's current temperament. The player who blossomed into an incredibly valuable two-way threat this season is shooting under 27 percent - including 1-of-8 from deep - in three Finals games. Part of the problem is his obvious back issues, which Warriors coach Steve Kerr classified as spasms Wednesday.
| Draymond Green | FGA/Game | FG% | PTS | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference Finals (6 games) | 13.4 | 43.3 | 14.4 | 12.2 | 5.6 |
| NBA Finals (3 games) | 10 | 26.7 | 9.7 | 7.7 | 2.7 |
But despite his own shortcomings in the series so far - specifically passing up open shots, perhaps because of pain or lost confidence in his jumper - Green isn't letting his teammates off the hook. He basically echoed Kobe Bryant's tweet Wednesday, lamenting that the Dubs aren't playing with the same intensity as the Cavaliers.
"Who dove on the floor? (Matthew) Dellavedova," Green said. "Who dove on the floor for the other loose ball? Dellavedova. Who dove on the floor? Mike Miller."
Green added:
They're playing like a team that's desperate and needs something. We're playing like a team that's not desperate and got something. ... I wouldn't say we're not fighting, but we could fight more.
For their part, the rest of the Warriors were frequently reminded Wednesday that they also faced a 2-1 hole in the second round of the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies, which they responded to with three straight victories to close out the series.
Andre Iguodala was quick to point out that between Games 3 and 4 of the Memphis series, the Warriors loosened up by playing golf. With NBA Finals media obligations, that's not happening in Cleveland.
"We had to come in today, so that kind of ruined our day," Iguodala joked.
The Warriors did not practice Wednesday, instead watching film. You can bet some of the footage involved fourth-quarter sets from Tuesday, when Stephen Curry heated up after a brutal first three periods.
Curry hasn't been fazed by the derogative chatter about him being defended expertly by Dellavedova.
"He's an NBA player, he's here for a reason," Curry said of the badgering, undrafted Cavs guard. "He's made some plays the last couple of games to help them ... there's no discrediting him as a player just because of where he's come from.
"I challenge myself to play better, that's all I'm worried about."