Warriors forward Draymond Green said, “No play-in game is going to motivate me at this point of my career.”
Golden State coach Steve Kerr, via Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area:“Well, it motivates me,” the Warriors coach told the media. “We want to do as well as we can, and we want to have a shot. I still maintain that we have a chance to get a lot better and to make a run.
“I realize that as we are currently constituted, we’re not a championship contender. I think that’s obvious. So, I understand what Draymond is saying. After so many years of being a championship contender, it is tough to look at the standings and say, ‘Wow, we’re just trying to make it into the play-in stuff.’
“Yeah, that’s a totally different deal than what we’re used to. But these are our circumstances. This is our reality. But everything matters organizationally going forward. I think getting into the playoffs would be a big accomplishment and a stepping stone toward next year.
“So, I think this is something that should drive us, just with more of a big picture thought in mind.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Kerr and Green disagreed.
But it’s not entirely clear they’re unaligned. Green walked a fine line between saying he doesn’t care about the play-in because cares about every game anyway and saying the play-in is beneath him.
If nothing else, Kerr must manage how the rest of the roster interprets Green’s comments. Golden State doesn’t want impressionable young players losing motivation because they believe Green isn’t fully vested in this season.
Last night’s blowout loss to the Raptors wasn’t a great indication.
But the Warriors (23-26) are still in play-in position at 10th in the Western Conference.