Draymond Green takes ownership of Warriors' defensive struggles ahead of Pacers matchup.
The Golden State Warriors have hit a rough patch after their strong start to the 2025-26 season, and veteran leader Draymond Green isn't holding back about where the responsibility lies.
Following a brutal 129-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, the nine-time All-Defensive selection made a brutally honest confession about the team's defensive performance.
"When our defense looks as sh---y as it does, I have failed," Green said after the game, taking full accountability for Golden State's defensive woes.
The Warriors now sit at 5-5 after starting the season 4-1, and their recent slide has been defined by one glaring issue: they can't stop anybody.
Warriors' Defensive Collapse
The numbers tell a troubling story for Golden State.
The Warriors currently rank 16th in defensive efficiency at 114.2 points per 100 possessions and have allowed opponents to shoot 48.6 percent from the field this season.
In their five losses, they've surrendered at least 114 points each time while holding only one opponent under 100 points all season.
Their recent stretch has been particularly painful. Milwaukee's Ryan Rollins torched them for 32 points, Indiana's Quenton Jackson dropped 25 with 10 assists, and Sacramento's Russell Westbrook recorded a triple-double in a comeback win.
Against Denver, Nikola Jokić carved up the Warriors defense for 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting, while Jamal Murray added 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The Nuggets shot 56.1 percent from the field and drained 16 three-pointers in their dominant performance.
Individual Accountability Missing
Green's self-criticism extended beyond just the numbers as he called out his teammates for lacking individual defensive accountability. "Everybody must take the challenge individually of guarding their man, and then you build off from there," he emphasized.
The four-time champion believes the Warriors are relying too heavily on team help defense rather than locking down their individual assignments, which creates breakdowns across the entire system.
The Warriors have also been without Stephen Curry for their last two games due to illness, which has only magnified their problems on both ends of the floor.
Curry, who's averaging 26.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season, remains questionable for Sunday's matchup.
Path Forward Against Pacers
Golden State will look to get back on track when they host the struggling Indiana Pacers (1-8) on Sunday night at Chase Center.
The Pacers have been one of the league's worst offensive teams, averaging just 110.3 points per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and a league-worst 30.1 percent from three-point range. However, Indiana has been aggressive on defense, ranking second in steals with 6.6 per game.
To beat the Pacers, the Warriors need to rediscover the defensive intensity that Green has built his Hall of Fame career on. As Green bluntly put it, "We must be a high-energy, high-effort team and we must be a great defensive team. If we can't reach those milestones, we don't stand a chance."
The Warriors and Pacers are set to tip off at Chase Center at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.