Draymond Green may not be welcome, but he was missed in preseason loss
to Lakers
Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green's defense missed in loss to
Anthony Davis, Lakers in preseason
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 9: Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony
Davis (3) blocks a shot by Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22)
during the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at the Chase Center
in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 9: Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony
Davis (3) blocks a shot by Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22)
during the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at the Chase Center
in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: October 9, 2022 at 10:20 p.m. | UPDATED: October 10, 2022 at
4:10 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/10/09/draymond-green-may-not-be-welcome-but-he-was-missed-in-preseason-loss-to-lakers/

SAN FRANCISCO — Preseason scores aren’t worth fretting over, but the
Warriors will pore over film to figure out how they allowed 124 points
to the Los Angeles Lakers — playing without LeBron James and Russell
Westbrook — in Sunday’s loss at Chase Center.

But their findings won’t be too complex. The Warriors will see a defense
in desperate need of Draymond Green.

Green is away from the team indefinitely, a quasi-suspension he’ll go
through after punching Jordan Poole in the face during a team scrimmage
last Wednesday. The team needs some space from him as they work toward
rebuilding a broken trust.

“He’s got some work to do to get that trust back from us,” Kevon Looney
said after Sunday’s game. “But I think he’s willing to do it.”

Green may not be too welcome at the Warriors facility right now, but he
was sorely missed on the court.

His absence was especially felt against Anthony Davis, who did some
bullying against the Warriors’ younger players. Jonathan Kuminga —
playing at power forward in Green’s place — and James Wiseman held their
own, but had trouble containing the Lakers’ 6-foot-10 superstar power
forward/center.

Davis led Los Angeles with 28 points and was getting to the basket at
will when Kuminga and Wiseman shared a front court together.

“Anthony was fantastic tonight,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s obviously
a really tough cover. He picked up a couple of early fouls on Loon and
then we gave James a little time on him. It’s a great learning
experience for our young guys, to have to guard someone who’s one of the
best bigs in the league. We’ll take a look at the film. We’ll show those
guys clips individually tomorrow and they’ll learn from tonight, for sure.”

To be fair, not many players in the entire NBA can contain Davis. He’s
unstoppable in the paint and a true threat from beyond the arc. His
skill with that near seven-foot frame has given the small-ball Warriors
trouble through the years.

In past match-ups — from Davis’ time in New Orleans to his move to Los
Angeles — Green has always had a knack for tempering Davis’ dominance.

Not only were the Warriors missing Green’s one-on-one defense against
Davis, but his help defense and communication that makes the Warriors’
defense one of the league’s best.

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Looney was Golden State’s defensive anchor on Sunday. He battled for six
rebounds and played well against Davis, including a defensive stop in
the post early in the first quarter that wound up called a foul. A few
foul calls piled up, forcing Wiseman in a little more to handle Davis, too.

In the third quarter, the Warriors’ most impressive few minutes, Kerr
opted for a front court that paired JaMychal Green with Looney and
Wiseman that Poole’s jets fuming on offense, especially in the
pick-and-roll.

Defensively, though, the Warriors didn’t look like themselves. They
allowed the Lakers to shoot 50% from the field, and 47% from 3. They’re
allowed some sloppiness in the preseason, but their goes beyond a
one-game slip. Green’s future with the organization feels tentative, but
they’re unlikely to repeat without him.

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Shayna Rubin | General Assignment Sports Reporter
Shayna covers Bay Area sports for the Bay Area News Group. She covered
the Oakland A's from 2019 to 2021 and, most recently, the Golden State
Warriors' championship run in 2022. Shayna is a San Francisco native.