Stephen Curry balanced it out for the Warriors. Literally. After his return, Golden State now sits at an even 6-6, though not in the way fans hoped. His homecoming game turned into a 126-102 drubbing by the Oklahoma City Thunder, capping off a roller-coaster week that saw losses to the Kings and Nuggets before a brief high against a shorthanded Pacers squad. And just when you thought you’d seen it all, Curry made a little “history” of his own.

Picking up the first flagrant foul of his entire career. This Warriors team just doesn’t have the same spark it did last season when they finished 48-34.

And Draymond Green knows exactly why. After the loss to the Thunder, he didn’t sugarcoat things in the postgame presser: “I think everybody was committed to winning and doing that any way possible. And right now, um, it doesn’t feel that way.” Green admitted that last season, the team had its eyes locked on a championship, his year, not so much. Then again, it’s hard to feel optimistic when you’re sitting at 6-6 and ninth in the Western Conference.

Green acknowledged the nuances of the game and the league but made it clear that personal goals should never outweigh the team’s success. “I think everyone has a personal agenda, uh, in this league, but you have to make those personal agendas work in the team confines. And if it doesn’t work, then you kind of got to get rid of your agenda or, um, or eventually the agenda is the cause of someone getting rid of you,” he said.

“And so, you know, I think you don’t want a team with no personal agendas because a goal is an agenda, you know, and so you got to have some type of personal agenda. Um, but like I said, your personal agenda must fit into the confines of the team.”

Curry, too, echoed that feeling after a frustrating night where nothing seemed to fall his way. “I don’t think the vibes are high,” he admitted. The two-time MVP couldn’t find his rhythm, picking up the first flagrant foul of his career in a night to forget. He ended with just 11 points, one rebound, and one steal in 20 minutes on 4-of-13 shooting. 

Draymond Green wasn’t much better, finishing with three points, two rebounds, and four assists in 22 minutes. The chemistry, once their biggest strength, suddenly feels off. The team that used to laugh its way through victories now looks like it’s forcing smiles through losses.

What’s striking is how quickly the tone has shifted for Green. Just last month, he was all in on the fifth Warriors’ championship chase, saying, “That’s all we talk about,” when asked about the team’s goals. He genuinely believed this group was built to win another title. But now? The same Green sounds far more frustrated than fired up.

After another sloppy defensive outing vs the Warriors, he didn’t hold back: “Our defense sucks.” But it’s also a sign of where this team is mentally. Once proud of their defensive grit, the Warriors now rank 16th in defensive rating, a far cry from last season’s seventh-place finish with nearly the same roster.

Even Jimmy Butler, after facing them, echoed the same sentiment, saying the Warriors needed to show “some more effort” defensively. That’s never something you’d expect to hear about a team led by these vets.

Maybe it’s age talking. Maybe it’s complacency. Or maybe, as Green himself hinted earlier, those “personal agendas” he talked about are starting to interfere with the team’s collective focus.

Head coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, has seen enough. His message to the locker room couldn’t be clearer: “Ultimately, you know — adapt or die,” he warned. “And so our entire team needs to understand this message. And obviously, I’ve given them that message.” It’s as direct as it gets. 

Jimmy Butler echoes for a mental reset as Warriors struggle to find their fire

Jimmy Butler didn’t shy away from backing up Draymond Green’s tough-love approach. After the Warriors’ loss to the Thunder, he doubled down on the team’s need for accountability and sacrifice.

“Everybody might have to sacrifice something,” Butler said. “I can’t tell you what that sacrifice is for every individual, maybe different for every individual every single night, it’s got to get back to many.” 

His message was clear, the “fight” to win isn’t there right now, and the only way to fix it is honesty. “Everybody has to be honest with themselves,” he added. Butler’s words hit like a wake-up call, because everyone in the locker room knows what’s wrong; it’s just about who’s willing to face it.

And you can’t really afford to be half-hearted when you’re going up against a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show with 28 points, but it was Chet Holmgren who stole the spotlight.

The young big man made franchise history, becoming the first OKC player to record 20+ points and 10+ rebounds on 100% shooting. Against that kind of performance, the Warriors simply didn’t look ready to fight.

That’s why Steve Kerr has started drawing lines. After Friday’s loss, he didn’t mince words about the team’s lack of energy, particularly from the younger core. Warriors beat writer Danny Emerman reported Kerr’s blunt message: “There has to be some fire in the belly,” he said, calling out Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski. 

The trio combined for just 15 points, nowhere near enough to compete against the league’s top teams. Fingers are being pointed, meetings are being held, and expectations are rising. Maybe, just maybe, a change in mentality is on the horizon.