Draymond Green explained how playing for the Golden State Warriors is no easy feat. Given they’ve built a dynasty over the years, it’s no surprise they’ve long felt like they’re playing with a target on their backs.
Despite the Warriors struggling of late to recreate the success they once had, it seems like things haven’t changed in terms of the level of competition they face.
Draymond Green Noticed How Players Tend To Give Their Best Efforts To Beat the Warriors
Throughout the mid-2010s, the Warriors established themselves as one of the most elite teams in the Western Conference. Green, alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, helped build the Warriors’ dynasty, which ultimately resulted in four championships.
While it’s undoubtedly a huge accomplishment, it also led to other teams focusing on beating Golden State in order to make a statement. Green explained on his podcast how he noticed that the younger generation of NBA players today would tend to be more competitive whenever they’d face the Warriors.
Green further elaborated that the players’ competitive spirit could stem from the idea of Golden State formerly being on top of the mountain. Because of the success the team has garnered over the years, the Warriors have an elite vibe, which younger players can’t seem to brush off despite the team’s recent shortcomings.
“You’re always going to have guys that step up and just play out of their minds,” Green said. “That is the Warrior effect, that is the effect you get when you have had the success that we have. You figure a lot of these young guys that come into the NBA now, they grew up on the success that we’ve had. So when they come into that game, it’s their NBA Finals. It’s their childhood dream come true. And so, you always get the absolute best version of guys.”
Draymond Green says NBA players treat games against the Warriors like it’s the Finals
“You’re always going to have guys that step up and just play out of their minds. That is the Warrior effect, that is the effect you get when you have had the success that we have. You figure a… pic.twitter.com/ZsBnlLsqig
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 4, 2025
Heading into Nov. 3 action, the Warriors were the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a 4-3 record. They’ve already managed to beat some of the best teams in the West, like the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
But they’ve struggled against teams like the Indiana Pacers, who were winless when they faced off on Saturday.
The latter stumble illustrates there could be some truth to what Green said about players suddenly bringing out the best versions of themselves when going up against Golden State. However, with a long season ahead of them, there’s still plenty of opportunities for the Warriors to turn things around.