Draymond Green says Warriors had ‘awful’ chemistry last season

SAN FRANCISCO — As the clock wound down with the Golden State Warriors trailing the Sacramento Kings by a point in the final seconds Wednesday night, Draymond Green found Klay Thompson with inches of space. Thompson rose above Davion Mitchell and hit a smooth mid-range jumper, just enough to put the Warriors ahead of their little brothers from Northern California.

As the horn sounded after the Warriors’ 102-101 victory, Green met Thompson for a bear hug. Stephen Curry was in the left corner, pumping the air with a double fist. Chris Paul gave an emphatic fist bump himself. The bench broke.

After a year of struggle, joy returned to San Francisco.

“Last year we had a terrible team chemistry-wise,” Green said. “It was hard to come to work. Not fun. So this year you see the joy on the guys’ faces when they come into the building. You have guys staying over two to three hours just to talk. Arriving two at three hours early just to be here. You start to see that, and you’re like, “Okay, this is a group that likes to be together.

The joy that permeates the Warriors is unmistakable. It’s a similar joy to the one they had at the start of their title run in 2022, one that was a vital piece of their dynasty.

The early chemistry the Warriors showed through the first five games of the season – four of which they won – was no accident.

Over the summer, the players spent a lot of time with each other. The veterans, led by Green, Curry and Paul, held several scrimmages in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. There were several team dinners that lasted for hours.

“You understand the vibe of what happened last year. … The time we spent together as a group was enormous,” Curry said. “We could get the elephants out of the room [Paul] Joining the team were other veterans that we had recruited. …It helped that we became familiar with each other’s personalities and motivations at the beginning of the year.

Chemistry is a major part of what makes the Warriors – or any team – work. But even aside from chemistry, the overall balanced construction of Golden State’s roster is important.

“We have size, depth, ball handlers, shooters, defenders,” Green said. “I can walk into this locker room, look around and know that when it’s over, we’re going to take our chances. That’s all you can ask for.”

Golden State played with a tight rotation, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr relying on the same 10 players during the first slate of games. The minutes have fluctuated, but unlike years past, each player knows what is expected of them.

“You can see the adults in the room, the professionals in the room, the constant strengths in the room. It’s paying off,” Green said. “Look at our second unit. Sometimes they played better than our first unit. … I always tell guys you win championships six to ten, not one to five.

Curry added: “Even though we’re not playing perfect basketball, there’s a great cohesion and chemistry and trust with whoever’s out there.”

There’s no hiding the happiness with which the Warriors play. You can see it in Curry’s shocked, “Home Alone”-inspired reaction after scoring a 3-pointer against the Houston Rockets on Sunday, or in the dancing on the bench, or even behind closed doors as players linger in the locker rooms for hours after games. jokes.

If history has anything to say about that, it suggests the Warriors are ready to make another effort this year.

“Chemistry has been a strong point here,” Green said. “That’s why so many guys have been here for so long – chemistry is what we hang our hat on.”

He added: “[Last year] our chemistry sucked. … But it was a one-year affair, it was an anomaly. But we are back where we need to be. »