Draymond Green didn't hold back in his criticism of his performance on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Golden State Warriors' NBA Playoffs series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
For those who missed it, the Lakers shocked the Warriors in their series opener with the 117-112 win. Both Anthony Davis and LeBron James dominated, with the duo combining for 52 points, 34 rebounds, nine assists and seven blocks. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson matched up the two offensive with a combined 52 points as well, but unlike the Purple and Gold who got some much-needed offensive help from the rest of the team, the Dubs' supporting crew beyond Jordan Poole failed to step up.
Green, for his part, was absolutely non-impactful in the contest. The Warriors forward had the worst plus-minus in the game with -8. Dray finished with six points on 3-of-9 shooting in 33 minutes of play, though he did have four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and three blocks.
The Warriors' vocal leader admitted he was disappointed with his performance, noting that he could have done better as the Warriors lost 117-112.
“I played like s**t. I am disgusted with myself right now,” Green said while pointing out that he should have avoided getting in foul trouble, per The Volume. Green had four fouls in the match-up.
“I have to be smarter and not put us in that position that throws off rotations, that throws off matchups, that throws off a ton of things on top of me not being on the floor. So I gotta be better and smarter, and I will be.”
True enough, the Warriors cannot afford to have Draymond Green unavailable on the floor when they need him the most. While he is not an offensive weapon, his defense and tenacity are crucial for the Dubs. The team definitely missed that as the Lakers went on a run in Game 1 to surpass them and eventually win.
Hopefully Green will be better come Game 2. He is aware of his shortcomings, but executing is an entirely different matter.