The start of the new decade hasn’t been kind to the Golden State Warriors. Since the ball dropped in New York City at Times Square to ring in the new year, the Warriors haven’t won a game.
To cap off 2019, Golden State won four of its last six games, but 2020 has been an unwelcome wake-up call. The Warriors have been missing their leading scorer, D’Angelo Russell, in every game of 2020. Without Russell, the team is averaging under 100 total points per game over their last four contests.
Losing streaks can be hard to shake. Some individuals take extreme measures to snap a losing streak, for former Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green, it could be as simple as a jersey swap.
Before the struggling Dubs tipped off against the Los Angeles Clippers, the team practiced at UCLA in Pasadena and Green suited up a little different. Green was spotted wearing rookie Alen Smailagic’s No. 6 practice jersey during the team’s morning shootaround.
Scenes from LA: Steph Curry shooting with Draymond Green in an Alen Smailagic jersey pic.twitter.com/Ap4DF7m4dN
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 10, 2020
Smailagic is coming off a career-high 10 points against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks — it looks like Green is taking notice of the 19-year-old Serbian product.
Things don’t get any easier on the Warriors when the team travels to Staples Center to face Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers sit at third place in the Western Conference with only 12 losses on the season.
The Clippers could extend the Warriors losing streak to tie a 2019-20 season-high of seven straight losses. If the Warriors can break their losing streak, Green might have to stick with the rookie’s practice jersey for a while.