Draymond Green delivered a blunt assessment of the Golden State Warriors’ defensive performance after Wednesday’s 104-100 loss to the Houston Rockets at Chase Center.
The veteran forward criticized the team’s mindset in a night where Golden State surrendered 22 points off 16 turnovers and allowed Houston to erase a 12-point halftime deficit.
Asked about the unit’s overall level, Green said, “Our defense is h*t… because it’s not necessarily the numbers like how do you feel when you out there, you know? And if it’s just let down after let down, it’s bigger than the numbers.”
Golden State entered the game ranked in the league’s top half defensively, but Green emphasized that metrics did not match the on-court reality.
He explained the emotional toll of repeated breakdowns, saying, “Defense is about demeanor… then you just a soft team, you know, and so it’s bigger than a number like what does the other team feel when you’re defending it and right now they don’t feel no force.”
Houston’s Reed Sheppard scored a career-high 31 points with nine rebounds and five assists, while Alperen Sengun added 16 points and six assists as the Rockets improved their recent run to seven wins in eight games.
The Warriors struggled to contain dribble penetration throughout the second half, an issue Green tied directly to individual accountability.
“It requires individuals all of us as individuals to take on your challenge,” he said. “The only way the team can work is if we take on individual challenge and right now we are individual… I said we are individually sh*t awful.”
Golden State briefly regained momentum late in the fourth quarter, but the game tilted when Stephen Curry collided with Amen Thompson on a contested drive and left with 3:24 remaining.
Jimmy Butler led the Warriors with 21 points, and Will Richard added 18, while Moses Moody’s late three cut the deficit to two before Sheppard sealed the result at the line.
Green, who returned after missing Monday’s win, contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, but said the team’s collective defensive presence remained the pressing concern.
Asked about his health after entering the game on a foot spray, he added, “I’m all right. I’m fine. I feel like I’m 25.”
The Warriors played without Al Horford and Jonathan Kuminga, while Houston missed Steven Adams and Kevin Durant, who is expected back for the Rockets’ next matchup.
Golden State fell to 100 points scored on 43% shooting and converted only 12 of 43 from beyond the arc, adding pressure to clean up execution before hosting New Orleans on Saturday.
Green reiterated that the solutions must begin with effort and responsibility on the defensive end.
