SAN FRANCISCO – With not one but two abrasive, chest-beating, trash-talking All-Stars, the Warriors don’t need a pregame fire from coach Steve Kerr.
Draymond Green and his new teammate, Chris Paul, are two dead trees in the forest. Rub them through 82 games and there should be enough fire burning under the Warriors all the way to next April and beyond.
Stephen Curry welcomes the future with two teammates who could be described as the “Evil Twins.”
“For sure it will help us internally,” said Curry at Media Day last Monday at the Chase Center. “Understanding the vibe in practice, the sense of accountability, and making sure all the energy is put into winning.
“And if those two guys can focus that energy on the court when it comes to games, doing exactly that, making everybody hate them and making us love them, I know they can keep the holding each other accountable to that energy, as well. That’s going to make a big difference and give them an edge and give us an edge.”
That “edge” was often lost last season, especially on the road and against inferior teams. Golden State is 11-30 away from the Chase Center and a combined 0-6 against the lowly Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic.
There were times when Kerr was to blame, saying he “didn’t have the team ready to play.”
There were times when Draymond said it was “my fault” that the Warriors lacked intensity.
Under this roster, with Green and Paul bringing the heat, days and nights of fatigue should be a thing of the past.
“It’s pretty cool,” Gary Payton II said. “We don’t have to worry about what Chris is doing on the other side, bothering us with his antics, and Draymond bothering him. They can trouble other boys now. I’m happy to have them on my side and excited to get on the court with them and cause some trouble.
Green and Paul play challenging basketball, pushing and bending the rules to gain an advantage. They want to win very much, but they are almost equally important to cause distraction and achieve psychological well-being.
“Draymond and CP, they’re the players you hate to play against, but you love to have them on your team,” Andrew Wiggins said. “They are dogs. They are very intelligent, and they know how to get under the skin of other teams, their weaknesses. To have the opportunity to play with both of them will be very special.â€
Both decorated veterans, Green and Paul have similar characteristics that as opponents they match and blend. Whatever jersey Paul wore — Golden State was his sixth team — Draymond quickly grew to hate it.
“If you’ve ever watched Chris compete, he’s a—hole,” Green said. “He might say the same thing about me, and that’s OK. But he’s also one of the most competitive guys I’ve played against in my 11 years in this league.
“I’m also a very competitive person, and I don’t back down from anyone, he doesn’t back down from anyone. That brings some clashes, and it brings a lot of them.
CP3, his 18-year career in the NBA coming to its conclusion, seems eager to combine all the stored energy in one place, for the same reason, as teammates.
“The one guy I wanted to have the chance to play with my whole career and I never did was Kevin Garnett,” Paul said of the notoriously aggressive Hall of Famer. “And that’s because the first three times I played against KG, we both got a double-tech because we played at the same intensity. I never played anything other than Tyson (Chandler) and D-West (David West).
“But I’ve never played with big guys protecting your guards, you know what I mean, where you don’t have to step into the s—t. You know what I mean? I just did it myself.
“I’m excited, even though the way it’s been for years and so forth with Draymond, I’m excited to be with him on the same team.”
It’s not as if the Warriors will suddenly become the West Coast version of the Detroit Pistons of 30 years ago, who were fondly called the “Bad Boys.”
Those teams have a longer list of opposing players to despise.
There are only two Warriors. At this time, that was enough. If they channel it properly, it should be welcomed.
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