NBA MVP Steph Curry shot 21.7 percent from the floor in Game two of the NBA Finals, then turned the ball over three times and missed a wide open 3-pointer when Iman Shumpert threw the basketball right to him.
But another Golden State Warriors scapegoat is being targeted.
Deadspin says it's Warriors teammate Draymond Green that is "killing" the team as they trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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"Casual observers may not know it from the committed Gerald Wilkins impersonation he's been doing for all but five of the series' 154 minutes so far, but Green might well be the Warriors' most important player (though obviously Steph Curry is their best)," Deadspin reports. "Their switching defense relies on him being able to guard five positions without sacrificing rebounding; their offense relies on his shooting and passing to exploit screen-and-roll defenses that over-commit to containing Curry. They can live with him not doing much of the latter-so long as he's defending and rebounding, they'll get opportunities to run out in transition and bomb away from deep against a scrambling defense-but he's not doing the former, either."
The article goes on in great detail about Green's deficiencies against the Cavaliers.
CBSSports.com, however, provides a clue as to why Draymond Green has not been Draymond Green, at least in the last two games of the finals - both Warriors losses.
"Green's struggles are surely related to a back injury he suffered in Game 2, as he told CSN Bay Area's Rosalyn Gold-Onwude that it's bothering him significantly:"
I asked Draymond Green how affected by back pain? He confided back is locked up at all times & playing thru pain w explosion/jumping/contact— Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) June 10, 2015
Injury happened in fall from Game 2, 3rd qtr. Green downplayed injury w media today. Focused on "leading team,grinding it out,its the finals— Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) June 10, 2015
If that is the case, then the Warriors training staff needs to alert coach Steve Kerr of the severity of Green's injury, or Kerr should watch Green's play to understand that the injury is causing him to be a detriment to the team.
Meanwhile, Green said that the Cavaliers are just playing with more of a sense of urgency than the Warriors, according to ESPN.
"They're playing like a team that's desperate and needs something," Green said Wednesday, "We're playing like a team that's not desperate and got something."
The series hype has been all about whether the Warriors' superior bench can wear down the Cavs, so they better figure out what's wrong with Green, and - more importantly - fix it.
Regardless, there's plenty of blame to go around for the Warriors' struggles.
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