Draymond Green insists Golden State Warriors know how to fix defensive problems
Watch Warriors @ Raptors Game 2 in the early hours of Monday morning (1am) live on Sky Sports Arena
Sunday 2 June 2019 14:29, UK
Draymond Green is confident the Golden State Warriors can right the defensive issues they showed in the NBA Finals opener in Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors.
Live NBA: Golden State @ Toronto
The Warriors power forward put the onus squarely on himself to improve the results for the visiting team in Game 2, live on Sky Sports Arena at 1am on Monday morning.
Green, who had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 1, believes that if he sets the example for the rest of the team, then they will follow his lead.
"I have to be more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball," Green said. "I think aggressiveness starts with me and everybody else will follow that. If I'm on my heels, everyone else is on their heels.
"I think that was kind of the story of (Game 1). I started the game not as aggressive as I could be on that side of the ball and it showed in our team defense.
"We just got to go in with the mindset of doing whatever it takes to win.
"Obviously you can see that X's and O's matter, but as a leader of this team we have to make sure that our effort is at the right level - that we step out there on the floor and we're playing with, you know, the right intensity and the right mindfulness as well.
"We step out there and we have to do things with a purpose.
"I have no doubt we'll do that but as a leader of this team and as players, I think we have to go out there with the right purpose of why we're doing certain things, and then focus on doing those, then we'll be successful."
The Raptors won the opener 118-109 on Thursday with Pascal Siakam scoring a playoff career-best 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting from the field.
"I got to do a better job of taking his rhythm away, and I will," Green said after the game. "He had a great game, but that's on me."
But Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his whole team needs to step up their defense on Sunday, not only Green.
"Draymond is always going to take the burden on his shoulders, and I respect that about him," Kerr said. "But it's a team effort, five-man group.
"And if your transition defense is bad, then there's not a whole lot you can do because you're talking about the best players in the world coming downhill in a fast game, five-on-four or four-on-three.
"It's just too easy to score for any team, but especially a team like Toronto that's in the Finals."
The Golden State Warriors will be without the services of Kevin Durant in Sunday's Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, but at least veteran swingman Andre Iguodala should be available.
Coach Steve Kerr said an MRI on Iguodala's injured lower left leg came back clean on Friday.
"Andre had an MRI this morning and seems to be doing well," Kerr said. "He said he felt pretty good."
Iguodala, who is averaging 9.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the Warriors in the playoffs, was initially injured during the third quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at Portland and sat out Game 4.
But Iguodala, 35, tweaked it again in a 118-109 loss in Game 1 of the Finals, prompting the further testing.
He played 29 minutes in Game 1, scoring six points and adding six rebounds and seven assists.
The Warriors are already without Durant because of a strained right calf, though DeMarcus Cousins did return from a torn left quadriceps in the Finals opener.
Durant is reportedly targeting a return in Game 3 or 4.
Game 2 takes place in Toronto in the early hours of Monday morning (1am) live on Sky Sports Arena.
