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The Golden State Warriors are in a funk at the wrong time. The Dubs lost their fifth game in six outings as they were defeated 115-123 by the Washington Wizards on the road on Sunday night.
The Warriors' latest loss has seen them slip to third position in the Western Conference standings. They are currently only two games ahead of the fourth-placed Dallas Mavericks.
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Steph Curry's absence is one of the biggest reasons for the Golden State Warriors' slumping form. The 34-year-old superstar has sat out the last five games after suffering a foot injury during his side's game against the Boston Celtics on March 16.
Moreover, the Warriors haven't benefitted much from the return of Draymond Green. The four-time All-Star made his return to the Dubs' lineup on March 14 after missing 29 games because of a back injury.
Despite his defensive skills, Green's availability hasn't improved Golden State's fortunes much. In their last two losses (versus Washington and Atlanta) alone, Green has posted an overall plus-minus of -44.
After the loss to Washington, Draymond Green was honest about his "terrible" form since returning from injury. He said:
"We gotta play better basketball. It starts with me, I’ve been terrible."
The fact that the Warriors have been outscored in the past two games with Green on the floor is not lost on the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year. He said in that regard:
"I’ve never been on a team that gets worse when I’m on the floor. That’s kinda where we’re at right now. … I can still be better. I will be. It’ll come."
Green added:
"The game feels like it’s moving at a million miles an hour for me right now."
"He is our leader" - Klay Thompson throwing his full support behind Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green
Despite Draymond Green's candid reflection on his own game, Klay Thompson has come out in support of his teammate.
Thompson told the media after the Golden State Warriors' loss to the Washington Wizards:
"Draymond we know and love. You gotta give Dray a few more games. He was out with a really serious injury. It's going to take him some time to catch his rhythm. A herniated disc is nothing to play with. He is our leader. Without him we won't go where we wanna go."
