Dub Hub: Draymond Green calls out 'terrible' loss against the Hawks

03/24/2025 02:30 PM

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Monday, March 24th.

In today's Dub Hub:

• Draymond Green calls out "terrible" road loss against the Hawks on Saturday.
• Steph Curry will travel with the team to Miami prior to Tuesday's game, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
• Heat's Andrew Wiggins scores season-high 42 points in 122-105 win over the Hornets.

With just 11 games left in the regular season, the Golden State Warriors are battling to stay out of this year's Play-In Tournament. However, their 124-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night didn't do them any favors, dropping them to 41-30 while barely holding onto the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

The Warriors came out flat against the Hawks, digging themselves a 17-point hole after the first quarter—one they never managed to overcome. Given the stakes, Draymond Green didn't hold back when discussing the team's disappointing performance. The veteran forward—who followed up a 21-point outing against the Toronto Raptors with a five point performance on just 2-of-7 shooting against Atlanta—was blunt in his assessment, calling it a "terrible" loss.

Golden State now sits just half a game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (41-31) and one game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers (40-31) as all three teams jockey for playoff positioning down the stretch. While the Clippers' loss to the Thunder on Sunday night gave the Warriors a little breathing room, the Timberwolves' win over the Pelicans last Friday keeps the pressure on them.

If Golden State wants to lock in a playoff spot and avoid the Play-In for the second straight year, they'll need to bounce back quickly—starting with Tuesday's matchup against the Miami Heat.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Monday, March 23rd:

Warriors News:

Frustrated Draymond chides Warriors for 'terrible' loss to Hawks | NBC Sports Bay Area

A win in Atlanta would have moved Golden State within one game of the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 5 seed. Instead, the Warriors fell two games behind Ja Morant and Co.

"We just didn't come out ready to play," Green said. "We came out like we were just going to win the game. And we got diced up defensively in the first quarter and from that point on, you're fighting an uphill battle. So everybody's comfortable and they took it to us. We've got to be better. That starts with me. We were terrible defensively. It's the NBA. Once guys get into a rhythm, it's hard and they got into a rhythm and had it rolling. It's tough to stop that, so we got to come out ready to play."

Jimmy Butler shrugs off Miami return: Just 'another game' | ESPN

"Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada," Butler said after finishing with 25 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds in the loss to Atlanta. "Yeah, it didn't end the way that people wanted to, yada yada yada.

"But that's so far behind me now. I don't even think about it. I don't pay attention to nothing except for the trajectory of this squad."

Sources: Stephen Curry joining Warriors in Miami; Tue. status TBD | ESPN

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is traveling to join the team in Miami, and his status for Tuesday's game against the Heat will depend on how his pelvic bruise responds to treatment the next two days, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday.

The Warriors, who lost Saturday night in Atlanta 124-115 without Curry, have said their franchise star will be reevaluated Monday.

Coach Steve Kerr said before the loss to the Hawks that he was hopeful Curry would rejoin the team at some point during Golden State's six-game trip.

NBA trends I'm watching: Warriors reborn, Cade Cunningham in the post and more | The Athletic

Butler is one of 18 NBA players with at least 100 isolations since his trade to the Warriors, who have scored a dominant 121.7 points per 100 possessions on those isos, best in the league over this period. He's experiencing double-teams 6 1/2 times less on his isolations with the Warriors — part of the Curry effect — than he did last season with the Heat, according to Second Spectrum. And he's not just looking to score or get to the line, though that's been a common occurrence.

Because of all the movement around Butler, his teammates are succeeding on these plays, too. Nearly one in five of his Warriors isolations have ended in an assist, by far the highest rate in the NBA over this time.

Steph Curry hits full court shot from the tunnel at the Chase Center

NBA News:

As Clippers win streak ends, they hold their breath on status of James Harden | The Athletic

Alex Caruso's 3 with 1:37 left was the final lead change, while the Clippers had critical turnovers from James Harden and Powell, paired with missed jump shots by Powell and Leonard while trailing by one.

It would be nice if all the Clippers had to worry about were the standings, as their chance to get back in front of the Golden State Warriors for sixth place with three weeks to go was squandered, leaving them with a 40-31 record and back behind the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves at eighth in the West. Unfortunately, the status of Harden is concerning because of a moment early in the third quarter.

DNP-Rest, quiet quitting and death threats: The current state of tanking for Cooper Flagg | Yahoo Sports

But a closer look at Barnes' substitution patterns reveals a subtle tanking strategy that has caught the eye around the league. The Jazz have evidently taken notice because they've followed the same blueprint. If the Jazz and Raptors can't sit their stars for the entire game, they've resorted to a half-measure: quiet-quitting in the middle of the game.

Heat's Andrew Wiggins scores season-high 42 points vs. Hornets

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Warriors bring back former Pistons, Knicks wing on rest of season deal

The Golden State Warriors are signing wing forward Kevin Knox to a rest of season contract, according to a report by ESPN's Shams Charania. Knox joined the Warriors last summer and has thrived with their G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. He has played with the Dubs briefly this season on a 10-day contract and will now be with the team for the rest of the season.

Follow@unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.