The Golden State Warriors singlehandedly ruled the NBA at one point of time. From 2015 to 2022, the Warriors won four championships while appearing in six NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the team is a pale shadow of itself now, ranked 11th in the West despite still garnering superstar performances from Stephen Curry. Many aspects may have contributed to the team’s downfall. Former NBA player Brandon Jennings believes Draymond Green’s altercation with Jordan Poole changed the franchise’s winning trajectory adversely.
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“I mean, you guys had a chance to go back to back. That kind of stopped everything from happening for them. He just got to move on from it, but I do think he’s sorry though,” Jennings said on the Gil’s Arena podcast.
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, Green notoriously punched Poole during a Warriors training session. There are many theories that have floated around to explain why the fight happened. It is widely believed till date that both of them were trash-talking with each other about their future contracts with GSW at the point.
Poole was expecting a $40 million contract renewal. So he felt that Green getting so much money was not fair. He took a potshot at Green for wearing the jersey No.30, which famously belongs to Steph Curry. That comparison apparently irked Green so much that they got into a heated argument, which turned physical as he punched Poole in front of everyone.
Although Poole remained on the team for the year, the chemistry between him and Green had clearly vanished. Golden State missed the playoffs entirely in the 2023-24 season in their first season without Poole.
Coming back to the present, Green expressed remorse following the Warriors’ recent showdown against Poole and the Wizards. The 25-year-old guard torched his former team for 38 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Following the game, Poole shared his love for his former teammates, well, at least most of them.
“I love those guys over there,” Poole said. “I love most of those guys over there.”
It was apparent that Poole took a subtle dig at Green. That sparked an apology from the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Green kept it short and simple by responding to a post of Poole’s quote on X saying, “I really am sorry.”
I really am sorry
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) January 19, 2025
There is still a possibility the two can mend their relationship. However, Green’s damage towards the Warriors has already been done. Golden State is in an extremely difficult situation and their future is in doubt.
Scarcity in Warriors’ young talent
One of the most impressive aspects of the Warriors’ 2022 title run is they did so while balancing two timelines. They were developing multiple players to grab the torch from the main core.
Poole led the cause with Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman. However, Poole is gone, the Wiseman experiment failed, and Moody has not found his groove with the team. This leaves Kuminga as the only substantial young talent.
Since the Warriors are at the bottom of the playoff rankings, a tough decision looms. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry doesn’t have many years remaining in the NBA. However, he is still a superstar talent.
Golden State have the opportunity to add a piece to contend for a championship, but it will require trading their young talent. And there isn’t much room for error for the GS front office. If this trend of failures continues for the Warriors, Curry’s last years in the NBA, unfortunately, might not even consist of competitive basketball.
