Green fires back on Lillard's comments about Warriors' defense

Few have doubts that this year's Golden State Warriors could be a history-making team. Yet they need time to gel, and one of the major changes from the last few seasons - particularly defensively - is the departure of interior anchor Andrew Bogut.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard said as much on Tuesday, before the Warriors beat Portland 127-104. It wasn't a stellar shutdown performance by Golden State, but their swarming and switching approach in the second half had Draymond Green pointing some comments afterward.

"It was a complete team effort," Green told reporters. "That was great for us to really come out and put that kind of game together on the defensive end, especially when our defense has been called out - that there's no anchor and it's not the same and all that - I think some opinions will change sooner than later."

The player who has caught the brunt of the criticism in the four games the Warriors have played is Bogut's replacement, starting center Zaza Pachulia. The Blazers scored at a pace of 119 points per 100 possessions Tuesday with Pachulia on the floor, but once the Warriors switched to their "Death Lineup + Kevin Durant" scenario, things changed.

Durant will be leaned on heavily to play rim protector late in games, and his length certainly provides some ability to do that. Whether that is enough in the long run to overcome what is a thinner bench than the Warriors are used to, remains to be seen.