The Golden State Warriors are fighting to stay in the Western Conference’s top tier. There’s a real sense of urgency heading into the season to maximize the final chapter of Steph Curry’s career.

Warriors forward Draymond Green knows this is a pivotal season, which is why he reacted harshly to the team’s season-opening loss.

Draymond Green Says Warriors Had Poor Body Language While The Lakers Took Over The Game

Reacting to the Warriors’ 127-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on his podcast, Green expressed disappointment.

Green said, “We kind of knew all the things we needed to get better at coming into the game. I think the biggest takeaway from last night is that, third quarter, it just felt like we weren’t competing anymore. And you can never be a team that doesn’t compete, no matter what goes on.”

Green added, “I can raise my hand as one of the leaders of the team and say that falls on me. That should never happen, and I let it happen; that falls on me. I think, ultimately, our body language sucked third quarter.”

Green specifically cited the third quarter as the turning point. The Lakers outscored the Warriors 36-16 in the quarter, with Green mentioning morale was somewhat down at the end of the first half after Lakers star Luka Dončić made some big shots.

Dončić finished the game with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. However, his altercations with Warriors rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg were perhaps the biggest discussion point after the game.

The Warriors also had trouble stopping the Lakers’ co-stars, with Austin Reaves scoring 23 points and center Walker Kessler scoring 26 points, while shooting 12-for-12 from the field.

Green had a limited offensive performance, scoring two points. However, his trademark passing was on display with eight assists, while he also contributed defensively.

Green said the loss didn’t expose new weaknesses, as the Warriors are already aware of their flaws. The Warriors were also dealing with multiple noticeable absences.

Jimmy Butler III remains out indefinitely while rehabbing his right ACL, and the future of center Kristaps Porziņģis is a major question mark moving forward.

Ultimately, Green believes the Warriors have to manage their frustration better as a long NBA season is just beginning.