On Monday night, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 125-112. With this win, the Warriors have won four straight and are 6-1 heading into their matchup against the reigning champion Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Wizards, who are 2-4 on the year, are likely to finish the season as a bottom team in the league once again. However, they played decent against Golden State and earned some praise. More specifically, Draymond Green gave credit to Wizards guard and his former teammate, Jordan Poole.
In the loss, Poole, who won a championship with the Warriors in 2022, scored a game-high 24 points on 8-for-20 shooting. Additionally, he recorded one rebound, three assists, three steals, and four blocks. After the game, Green praised Poole for his growth and efficiency.
“He’s playing a lot better. His shot selection… you come to a new situation, as a competitor you want to show everything. I think last year he was pressing. He wanted it so bad. He’s settling in. Last year were bad shots but he wanted it so bad,” Green said.
Draymond Green Praises Former Golden State Warriors Teammate Jordan Poole
The Golden State Warriors Are On a Tear This Season
Despite losing Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks last offseason, the Warriors are playing fantastic. What makes the team special this season is their well-rounded play. Through two weeks of the season, Golden State ranks third in points per game (121.6) and second in opponent points per game (104.3). Additionally, they are third and second in ORTG and DRTG, respectively, and have the best net rating in the NBA at +17.1. The Warriors have also gotten a major boost from their offseason additions–most notably Buddy Hield.
Hield is easily playing the best basketball of his career so far in Golden State. Through seven games, including just one start, he is averaging 21.9 points on 51.4% shooting from the field and 50% from the three-point line. Additionally, he is averaging 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 steals. The former Philadelphia 76ers wing has emerged as a top candidate for Sixth Man of the Year this season and has played a crucial role in Golden State’s early success.
The Warriors, however, are approaching a tough stretch. In their next three games, they will face the Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Oklahoma City Thunder all on the road. Boston is a dominant force in the NBA again. Furthermore, the Cavaliers and Thunder are the only two undefeated teams remaining. Seeing how Golden State performs during this stretch will be worth following.
Things Are Not As Good For the Washington Wizards
Unlike the Warriors, the Wizards are not playing great to start the season. Their offense has seen very little improvement, and their defense remains one of the worst in the league. There are bright spots in Washington, however, especially regarding Bilal Coulibaly. The Wizards had low expectations heading into the season, so this does not come as a big surprise. Regardless, the season is still young. Barring crazy circumstances, the Wizards will not enter the playoff picture this season. However, they still have a lot of time to flip the script and have a decent campaign.
