Two weeks ago, former NBA player-turned talking head Kendrick Perkins praised Draymond Green for everything he brings to the Warriors that doesn't show up in the box score.
While those intangibles are important and Green's value to Golden State is clear, Perkins took to Twitter on Thursday night to call out Green after the Warriors' 114-93 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
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Green scored two points on 1-for-7 shooting. The Warriors were minus-17 with Green on the floor against the Suns.
The Warriors entered Thursday night's game riding a two-game winning streak and felt good about their chances to knock off a Suns team that was without star guard Devin Booker. But the Warriors were sloppy offensively, taking a number of bad shots that coach Steve Kerr characterized as "turnovers" after the loss.
Golden State was equally bad on defense, allowing the Suns to get downhill on dribble handoffs by electing to chase over screens instead of going under them.
While Green isn't the offensive threat he was three or four years ago, Perkins is right that the Warriors do need more from one of their leaders. Green's communication on the defensive end is invaluable and the Warriors are undoubtedly better when he plays.
Golden State Warriors
But with Kelly Oubre Jr. still struggling with inconsistency and Steph Curry seeing all kinds of bizarre defenses, the Warriors need Green to give them more than the captain intangibles he's been so far this season.
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The Warriors still are learning on the fly, discovering their identity and trying to find ways to be more consistent on a nightly basis.
Kerr has warned the Warriors that energy and emotion won't always be able to win the day. The Warriors have shown a good ability to bounce-back from tough losses, but the up-and-down nature of their play clearly is frustrating to both Kerr and Curry.
The Warriors need more from Oubre, that's clear. They'd like James Wiseman to develop faster, but there's only so much you can ask of a 19-year-old who played on three collegiate games.
Can Green give the Warriors more than the 4.9 points per game he's averaging? It's unclear, but Perkins wants the three-time champion to try to give Golden State a jolt, especially when the Warriors are flat and discombobulated as they were Thursday in the desert.