Draymond Green says Warriors lacking collective will to defend

LOS ANGELES — Ask almost any member of the Golden State Warriors, and they will tell you it's fitting they're entering the All-Star break at .500 with a 29-29 record.

Their 29th loss of the season came Tuesday night against the LA Clippers, 134-124. Once again, their main issue was defense. The Clippers outscored the Warriors 44-28 in the third quarter, and Golden State never recovered.

The Warriors' defense, which ranks 19th in the NBA after ranking second in 2021-22, has been what they consider their biggest problem area all season long.

«It has to come from within,» forward Draymond Green said. «Defense is all about will, a want to defend. Defense isn't fun. You've just got to do it if you want to win, and we haven't.»

More so than individual defense, Green said the Warriors lack the «collective effort to defend.»

Why they haven't found that will 58 games into the season, Green doesn't know.

«It's the will to defend — stop and guard your man, and sink, and drop the box and rotate,» Green said. «Defense is just one or two steps extra… that's all will, and we don't have that as a team.»

Golden State's pick-and-roll defense continues to be an issue. According to Second Spectrum tracking, the Warriors are allowing 1.02 points per chance vs. on-ball screens, the worst efficiency in the league this season. Last season, they gave up just 0.91 points per chance against on-ball screens, the best efficiency allowed.

On Tuesday, the Clippers averaged 1.28 points per chance when using an on-ball screen against the Warriors, the third-highest efficiency allowed in a game by Golden State this season. The Clippers also used ball movement to attack the Warriors, matching a season high with 33 assists.

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