Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green says he's excited to be “the underdog” again.
The Warriors lost Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala this summer and will be without Klay Thompson for the majority of next season as he recovers from an ACL tear.
As a result, for the first time in years, the Warriors aren't the favorites to win the title in 2019-20. Some even believe Golden State will struggle to make the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference.
Green is looking forward to playing with that underdog chip again and proving the Warriors' doubters wrong.
“I like it. You know, being the underdog. It's been a while since we been the underdog,” Green told Rachel Nichols of ESPN. “But it brings that underdog chip back, and I miss that chip. I'm pretty sure Steph [Curry] missed that chip, and some of the stuff Klay been texting me this summer, I'm positive he misses the chip.
“So to the oddsmakers, thanks. You got me where I am today. I look forward to where they take me again.”
The Warriors' new Big 3 is Stephen Curry, D'Angelo Russell and Draymond Green. The three All-Stars will be tasked to keep Golden State afloat in the West while Thompson rehabs his knee.
It's hard to envision the Warriors missing the playoffs. After all, they have the best shooter in NBA history in Curry leading their offense, a former Defensive Player of the Year in Green anchoring the defense and a young All-Star in Russell who is motivated to show that last season wasn't a fluke.
The Warriors probably won't be at the top of the Western Conference standings next season, but they're still going to be a tough team to deal with on a nightly basis.
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