The Warriors finished last season 23-8 after the Jimmy Butler trade, then opened the 2025/26 campaign with four wins in their first five games. However, they’ve since dropped five of seven, prompting forward Draymond Green to suggest after Tuesday’s blowout loss to Oklahoma City that Golden State isn’t taking the same team-first approach that was so successful down the stretch last season.
“I think everybody was committed to winning [back then] and doing that any way possible,” Green said, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. “Right now, it doesn’t feel that way.
“… I think everyone has a personal agenda in this league,” Green continued. “But you have to make those personal agendas work within the team confines. If it doesn’t work, you kind of got to get rid of your agenda or eventually the agenda is the cause of someone getting rid of you.”
Green didn’t single out any specific teammates who he believes are letting “personal agendas” get in the way of winning — when Slater approached him for follow-up questions after his general media session, the former Defensive Player of the Year simply said that “everyone” has to take some responsibility for the team’s recent slide.
However, as Slater points out, Brandin Podziemski spoke repeatedly before the season about his career ambitions, including his goal to be “better than” Stephen Curry, while a desire for a more significant role was a major factor in Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency standoff with the Warriors. So when a veteran gripes about “personal agendas,” those younger players tend to fall under the spotlight first, Slater notes.
After a strong start to the season, Kuminga has slowed down in the past couple weeks, shooting just 44.4% from the floor (25.0% on three-pointers) and committing more than three turnovers per game, including five in 24 minutes on Tuesday. Head coach Steve Kerr and Butler have both spoken about a need to take better care of the ball and not trying to do too much with it, as Slater relays.
“Myself, I can’t have turnovers,” Butler said. “JK can’t have turnovers. … We’re the ones that have to keep our turnovers down.”
While Green’s comments presumably weren’t aimed at his longtime teammate Curry, the star guard was willing to shoulder his share of the blame after struggling in his return to action on Tuesday after a three-game absence due to an illness. In 20 minutes, Curry scored just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting and committed five fouls. He was a -23 in a game the team lost by 24 points.
“I kind of fell into [the agenda thing] a little bit myself,” Curry said. “Trying to get myself going. But the bigger issue when you lose is you start to look around and figure out what’s the issue. Commitment to winning is just running the floor, rebounding, taking care of the basketball. It’s not really about shots going in or not.”
All six of the Warriors’ losses so far this season have come on the road — they’re 5-0 at home. However, they’ll get no help from the schedule in the near future. They’ll play in San Antonio on Wednesday and Friday, New Orleans on Sunday, Orlando next Tuesday, and Miami next Wednesday before finally returning to the Bay Area for a five-game home stand.
Kuminga is showing he is not the future of the club. He has been given every oportunity to start the season and besides the first few games he has been nothing special. Not a guy you want to build you team around. With Curry sick and his offense is below what it once was the team has struggled. They also been hit with the toughest schedule full of back to backs to start the season on a old team.
Are you listening AKME? Arc says he is not the future of this club, so PLEASE do us Bulls fans all a favor and hang up if they place him on the block.
I wanted the warriors to trade Kuminga for Giddey but the Bulls were smart and not doing that. problem with warriors they have 2 announcers on their TV broadcast that never calls out players who are horrible. So some fans think hey that guy is good. When their defense is real bad. Curry goes down and the entire team looks like a last place team. OKC knew last night stop Curry and warriors lose. They double and triple teamed Curry and of course blew out the warriors.
Thank god we didn’t do that trade lol. Yeah, that’s our problem too, Stacey King acts like every guy on our team is an all star and kept doubling down on Chris Duarte signing last year. It was so obnoxious. There is zero depth and shot creator besides Curry on that team. I know you guys brought in Butler to do that, but he’s 36 and he’s running out of steam. I never understood the Butler trade, if you are trying to get younger as a team. Wiggins expiring deal would have been so much more beneficial to this team now instead of acquiring $30M+ more on the cap for a broken down Jimmy Butler.
Butler’s been the best player so far, and the 1 year younger Warriors went 26-8 with him after the trade and upset the 2 seed in the 1st rd.
GSW was trying to give Steph and Dray a last shot at a ‘chip by trading for him, it’s not Butler’s fault that it’s not going to happen.
I get the loyalty to Steph/Dray but this wasn’t it. Very few players have ever retired out on top. The post Curry years might rival the post Run TMC era. Awful and forgotten.
Butler is actually the only player on the warriors helping out Curry. They need to put Kuminga back on the bench not starting. they need to go with a starting lineup with Moody starting not Kuminga to bring in another 3 point threat.
I never understood the JK hype, even my Bulls friends wanted him but he simply isn’t a good fit for our team. Too many boneheaded plays on offense/defense, poor shot selection, not a good FT shooter, can’t make plays for himself or teammates, out of position on defense, not a good rebounder. I feel like he’s at his ceiling for his NBA career. He probably will get one big contract and be ring chasing later in his career. I can see a team like Wizards or Nets wanting him.
Kerr is also showing he’s not the future of GSW. He has one of the best rookies available but barely plays him, while trying to rely on Steph’s heroball even when it’s clear that Steph is off (I’m talking about the Pacers game where Will Richard got 0 playing time after shooting 100%/100%/100% in the previous loss to the Bucks – where he should have played more than 11:45).
Its time for Kerr to retire. He is coaching like its 2018. Teams has adjusted against the warriors. They are closer to a rebuild than to a top 4 team in the west. They need a PG to let Curry just be a shooter. Nobody is driving into the paint.
Well, it’s early still. Go Warriors…
It’s a 82 game season, granted they are in the West. Tough schedule to start the season, plus they are older and will show their age at times. It’s not a bad thing for Pods to say that he wants to be better than Steph, but he has to show the things that already have made Steph into an all time great. Consistency, practice, execution, etc all that plays into a huge part of becoming a full time NBA player. I believe this roster is flawed in some aspects. Getting a 40 year old Hortford who I really value and admire his entire career was their only big coup in free agency. JK contract talks really put a damper on the offseason. I don’t think they need to blow it up just yet, but if I’m MDJ, I get on the phones and see if I can work a deal for Kevin Huerter/Coby White or Jevon Carter (lmao). The only reason I say this is because Huerter gives them another shooter and he has been active on both sides of the ball, he’s a better rebounder than most people give him for, and he also has been shooting lights out. Coby, because he can play along side Steph and Butler, and Carter because they need another ball handler and facilitator in the 2nd unit. It’s a long season but it’s not end of the world for GSW and their fans. We already knew coming into the season that OKC/DEN/MIN would be the top 3 teams in the West. Houston still has to prove it, Spurs are upcoming but need more experience and the rest are just ‘meh’ or god awful. They can easily get a 4/5 seed this year, depending on if they are active and aggressive prior to February’s trade deadline.
4 or 5 seed is a pipe dream in the west for this old of a roster. Guys are going to continue to miss games and play light minutes because that’s what guys in their late 30s and 40s do in the NBA. If Podz and Kuminga are your options to pick up the slack when your old guys inevitably miss time….
Well, you see the early returns.
There is 0 reason for the Bulls to do anything right now because they are gelling right now to start the season. OKC reminds me of the warriors from the chamionship run where your only chance at beating them is when they have a off shooting night. Now the test of playing the spurs which the only good news is the starters was able to rest in the 4th quarter.
The schedule is a big deal, imo.
Chicago and San Antonio have had good starts, but they’ve had a very favourable mostly home schedule.
And it’s the opposite for GS.
OKC for me are even further ahead of the field than they were last year. I don’t think that Denver getting a real bench center changes things all that much.
“Getting a 40 year old Horford who I really value and admire his entire career was their only big coup in free agency.”
It’s too bad that Horford has been literally their least productive player so far. He’s the only player on the team with a negative WS/48 number.
Funny how this article mentions Kuminga’s turnovers, but ignores the fact that Draymond is avging more TO pg so far.
Its the bad passes for no reason is their problem. Kerr stubborness of thinking Green can be used like a PG.
Old team, nothing more. Their younger guys aren’t that good. .500 seems right.
You forgot too short as well. The only 7 footer on the team is in his 2nd year but Kerr only plays him an avg of 16 min/gm.
So his development will suffer, like all the young players on the team.
Maybe they should trade away the current warriors and acquire a real winner like Anthony Davis.
Things a Mavs fan will say for $800 Alex. How about Zion Williams too.
Draymond’s game is starting to slip. He can’t rebound against all the tall guys who are in the league these days, gets fouled less, can’t defend as effectively, can’t make up for his team’s defensive shortcomings, doesn’t move that much in possession, and GS attacks lack in dynamism as a result, he tries to make for it with even more adventurous passes = more turnovers than usual.
His 3-pt shots have masked his rather weak play, and show that too often he finds himself standing on the perimeter away from the action.
I always thought that Draymond will start to slow down before Curry. I think we’re seeing it now. His form will likely improve later in the season, but we’re not far away from the point where an average mid-level exception guy is better than Draymond.
green is already slowing down. He needs a lot more rest this year. Green hates playing center but kerr’s bad lineups forces him to play center.