The Golden State Warriors are far from the standard of a current champion. The team won 20 of 39 games in the campaign and thus site the ninth position in the West.
It would enter the play-in, therefore, at a disadvantage. However, for Draymond Green, that doesn’t change the fact that nobody in the NBA wants to face the Warriors in the playoffs.
The forward admitted that current champions are more focused on the evolution process than the leaderboard.
“I’m a basketball fan, so I look at the leaderboard. But I don’t study it or think about what we have to do to move up, you know? Even because, as I said, we have to reach the playoffs.” Green said.
“I don’t care about positions once we’re there because nobody in this league wants to play us in the postseason. Nobody,” Green added.
The Warriors’ race to the playoffs is not against their NBA rivals for Green, but against the looking glass. The team’s benchmark is, above all, its own performance.
Last season, Golden State was not favoured or had the best record going into the playoffs. However, Green is not intimidated by the situation below expectations in the classification.
“Champions have a different approach to the leaderboard than most teams. They don’t look out for others, but only for themselves.” Green said.
“We need, in short, to worry about continuing to improve. It’s about embracing the process of evolution along the way. A championship is not won, after all, in December or January.”
“Obviously we always have one eye open on the standings because, at the end of the day, we are competitors. But at the same time, it’s not something we’re monitoring all the time.” he added.
