It's reductive to say the Golden State Warriors' dreams of defending their title vanished back when Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole at practice. But the Dubs' lack of connectedness on and off the floor was apparent throughout a tumultuous regular season. And it was then exposed for all to see on Friday night as the Los Angeles Lakers blew them out with a 122-101 victory in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Golden State's problems in 2022-23 went much deeper than that incident. After keeping his feelings on taking a sock to the jaw evasive, Poole finally shed some real light on it.
“I don't speak on it much,” he told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne in recent days. “But I will say that … you've got to have a different level of maturity.
“We had a season to play. You're going to have to play with these people in the locker room, and that's why I said maturity is a big thing. What I know for a fact is there aren't many people who would be able to think logically and understand the magnitude of the situation, you know?”
Those revealing comments go further than Poole's previous ones.
He made clear from the beginning he wouldn't let Green's punch get in the way of Golden State's collective goal. He can't help the underlying effects of such a personal betrayal from any teammate, let alone the Dubs' undisputed emotional leader.
Who's to say any resentment Poole had didn't prompt his supremely disappointing season festering across the Warriors' locker room?
Stephen Curry felt the need to inspire his teammates with a fiery speech before his Game 7 masterpiece against the Sacramento Kings for a reason. Golden State was never truly together all season long.
Winning a ring takes much more than talent. Inherent trust and unyielding cohesion are also part of the championship DNA. And maybe these Dubs had no chance of developing it after Green punched Poole all the way back in October.
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