Draymond Green is acutely aware that his Golden State Warriors are once again the NBA-wide villains, despite playing without Kevin Durant in recent games. The defensive enforcer said so plainly when asked why so may are hoping the Warriors are dethroned at the end of this NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
“People in the States are cheering against us because we beat all their teams,” said Green, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell.
The Warriors have a morgue's worth of opponents which they have defeated through the last four postseasons, including the L.A. Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers and most notably the Houston Rockets, who have been bounced of four of their last five postseasons by this very team.
Those are nine teams that have an axe to grind with the two-time defending champions and would love nothing more than to see the fall of their reign of terror, currently with a stronghold on the Western Conference, as no other team has managed to reach the NBA Finals in the past five seasons.
The Warriors have thrived in their villain role, going from NBA darlings to a reviled franchise after they acquired the atomic bomb of all weapons in Kevin Durant.
Even after channeling their 2015 style of ball-sharing play in the past six games without Durant, the Warriors remain public enemy No. 1 and Green knows there is no one feeling bad for them, regardless of the slew of injuries they have faced this postseason.
Before the empire falls, the Raptors must take out the king — but the Warriors haven't been rattled, even after going down in the NBA Finals for the first time in their prolific five-year run.
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