The volume.
The NBA playoffs are heating up. Man, they have been so good. I know it's over, but Lakers Nuggets may have been a five game series.
It was great.
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What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show.
We are live postgame after the Nuggets just took down excuse me, after the Timberwheels just took down the Nuggets. These playoffs I've been It's been fun to watch, man. It's a lot going on in these playoffs on both sides. It's been some some fun series to check out on both sides. And we're going to talk about that. We're
gonna also talk about the Knicks. I went to F one this weekend in Miami and there's like Knicks fans all over the place and actually had an opportunity to talk to al Paalagonia about.
His feelings on the Knicks and.
Jeff's Alastnik good friend of mine, his feelings on the Knicks, and just listen to all these guys talk about the Knicks is hilarious, fun, but it's really interesting to hear like fans of a franchise with the magnitude of like a New York Knicks, but like hear how they think about basketball.
So we'll get into that.
And as I said, we are live on the bleacher Report app. Make sure you all checked. Throw your questions in the chat. We'll answer some of those when we get to the end of the show. But first let's get into these games. The Timberwolves annihilated the Denver Nuggets
on their home in Game two without Rudy Gobert. What made it so interesting that they did that without Rudy Gobert was like if you saw them, if you watch that game and you saw Minnesota defense, like their defense, they got their hand on every shot attempt, every drive, deflection, steals, swarm into the ball, like filling every gap.
There was no gaps in the defense.
And it's funny because I am someone who like I follow quotes during the playoffs. I really follow quotes because you can learn a lot and Mike Conley was speaking about how without Rudy Gobert, they had to be in gaps more and they had to swarm more, and like.
They did that, and I.
Thought, you know, I was a little skeptical in starting the game off number one, because Rudy was going to miss the game, and I just felt like, I'm a father of four, I love my kids and I love my wife, but she's gonna have to hold off for me just a few more hours for a playoff game, Like I just me personally.
Number one.
Congratulations to him anytime we you know, we have we bring new life into this world. It's a special thing and that's something, as I said, as a father or for that I don't take for granted at all. But I also don't try not to take this game for granted and understanding and what can take place in the playoff series, how one play can change a game, how one game can change a series, and ultimately one series can change the season. Uh, one series can change the
trajectory of history. Series has a major major It has major implications on the outlook of the NBA, the outlook of history, the outlook.
Of someone's career.
Because when you get to the end of career, the question always becomes what did they win?
And one series can can change everything.
And so when I heard Rudy wasn't going to play, I was like, wow, Like to me, it almost felt as if you were like cashing it in and like we won game one, because my first immediate question was, like, if they lost game one, would the approach be the same? Right, Like if you lost game one and you're in jeopardy of going down or the two, would the approach be the same or would you be there? And so that's
my initial question. And I don't have the answer to any of these questions, by the way, but that was my initial question. And then so I'm like, man like, it's going to be a lot harder for them to win without Rudy because if you watch Rudy, like the interesting thing that Rudy did in game one, and they definitely matched up the way I thought they should and would match up.
They put Cat on Joker, they put Rudy on.
Aaron Gordon, which effectively took the lib threat away. And if you watch, Rudy just stood at the rim and when Joker tried to throw that pass, he get it and Joker is very deceptive and throwing that love pass because he has such a great floater, and so in game one, he's like deceptively throwing that lib like he looks like he's shooting and it's just a little to the right, a little to the left for Aaron Gordon, and Rudy got his hands on maybe two or three of those libs in game one, if not more.
And the interesting part about that is those like, yes, you're.
Taking like that's a staple in their offense. And like I told you what a lob threat does, and what I've told you know, those of you all who's been tuning in to the show.
Actively faithfully.
The lob threat and what it does for your defense, excuse me, what it does for your offense, what it does to your defense.
It effectively does.
The same thing as if you put a shooter on the wing, because you can't leave the lob threat body with Where it's different for Rudy Gobert's Rudy seven to three seven four seven three whatever he is, and we know the type of rim protector that is. Well, where that matters is he doesn't have to step up.
And what do I mean by step up?
Is say, if Aaron Gordon is in the dunker, Joker is rolling down the middle of the pain and he.
Has the ball.
If my man is if my man is Aaron Gordon, then I have a responsibility to not totally give up the lob, but also affect the guy with the ball, make him think. So it's like a cat and mouse game. It's like, I'm stunned at you to kind of playing mind game with you, get you a little out of rhythm, like ah, should I shoot all the passes there?
And you kind of just play a game with For Rudy, he don't have to play the cat.
Of mouse game because he's essentially saying I'm gonna give you the floater, and Joker wasn't taking the floater, Like no one really takes it at the floater every time, or a layup every time. When you think about the game, when people like starts shooting a bunch of threes a couple of years ago, you want to like, you're willing to give up the floater because you know the percentage that they can complete that lives way higher than the floater. The live to Aaron Gordon is probably an eighty five
percent of succession rate. The floater is maybe a forty seven percent fifty percent if you're great fifty two great, it's a big difference. And so you live with the floater. And what the Minnesota timberw was sales. We're gonna give up that. But interestingly enough, Rudy can play both. He has such great length, He's seven feet seven to two, great shot blocker. And what he did was he didn't step up. He didn't step up outside of the stricted area. What I mean by that is if he's on Aaron
Gordon in the dunker spot. The dunker spot. If you ever look at an NBA court, right outside of the laying line on the baseline, a little out there's like a little dash and it goes up the floor.
We call that the dunker spot.
I meaning you send a god to the dunker so you get and if your guys in the dunker spot, the last.
Thing you wanted to do is get behind you.
So stepping up could be a problem, especially if it's bang bang play, it can be a problem. Rudy never had to step up, meaning the lib never opened in Minnesota. I mean, excuse me, didn't forget more from those libs than just two points. Those are momentum builders. Those are Aaron Gordon getting his confidence. Then Aaron Gordon gets boisterous, he gets more physical, he gets offensive rebounds, he gets
defensive rebounds, He's now pushing the pace on. He's all over the defensive end because he feels so good after getting the live When Rudy Gobert Minnesota was able to take that away, it wasn't the same Aaron Gordon. This Denver Nuggets team need Aaron Gordon to be successful in order to win, even more so now than they did last year because of their lack of lack of depth
in which we talk about. So the first five got to get them everything because the depth that the depth that Denver has well lack thereof, it's been really it's been really exposed in these playoffs. And so and getting back to Game two with that, with Rudy being out, I thought that that would not open up right and I thought their defense would be a little more compromise than it actually ended up being.
And so now you got Kyle.
Anderson on Aaron Gordon and a dunker Kat still on the Joker. Now number one, I gotta give credit to Cat. Cat just bald Cat defended he and nas Reed said, you know what, we're taking on this challenge. Yep, Rudy Gobert out here, this is going to be our matchup. Anyway, We've been studying this guy. We're prepared for this guy. And they took on the challenge and man Kat did a hell of a job on Joker and nas Reed
did an incredible job when he was guarding Joker. They made it tough, They got under his skin, they got him frustrated, and in turn, they were able to do that from the very.
Beginning of the game.
And guess what, you cut off the head of the snake, the body dies, and the Denver Nuggets were extremely out of character. You got Jamal Murray was going back and forth with the Rough more than he normally does. You had Coach Mo come on the court going crazy at the RUSS, which I'm not sure how he didn't receive a technical foul.
Let alone.
I get ejected, but I am happy he didn't because that is my guy. But boy, does that marker move also often when it comes to these things.
Yeah, that was a little crazy to me.
But you got you know, KCP arguing with the Rough a bit which KCP don't ever get rattled. You had Joker kind of pouting a bit and like you never really see him get.
Rattled, like they were rattled.
Then you had Aaron Gordon starting to take like a bunch of turnaround jump shots and like mid range jumpers. I don't know the team that I was watching. Michael Porter Junior was competing. I don't know the team that I was watching though, and A like, I don't view that and was like, oh, that was a fluke though, Nah,
there wasn't no fluke. Minnesota is real, Minnesota real. It's funny because I was just talking to my wife earlier during the game and I was telling her, you know, she had mentioned like, oh, man, I had turned it on, and you know, I wasn't. I didn't really watch, but I saw something come across that she was She called him Anthony, like Anthony had forty three points, her forty something points. She said, She's like he had forty something points.
And she starts going on this kind of mini rent about how like how it's hard to deny somebody that's hungry, and he just looks hungry. So I go, I start to go down this at man Rabbit hole, which is like he hungry as hell and he believed that he's the best, and he wants to be the best.
He knows how to play the game and mean to play the game.
This dude going up in this dude going up in these press conferences during this during this series, like and you know, Jokers the best player in the world. I think he the best player in the world. I ain't hearing none of that. He thinks he won hundred percent, believes that he's the best player.
In the world.
And if you don't believe he won hundred percent believes that he's the best player in the world, all you got to do is watch him play. He's playing like he believes he's anber one best player in the world. While all along, all this year, he's told y'all what he think of himself. Since he came into he's been telling you, so it is very evident that he believes that. Nonetheless, see, a lot of people fell at this, and I don't
just mean him going to give Joker credit. A lot of teams fail, and I've watched over the years, even like in playoff series that I'm playing, a lot of teams fail.
The media game.
Because when you're in the playoff series, you can bet your bottom dollar that's a part of the game. And man is passing that part with flying colors. As I said, every press conference, this dude goes into like they asked him a question that he like, ah, I was okay, But did you see my teammates? He's like, did you see my team? Like, my team did blah blah blah this.
And Cat did and Nas did this, and Rudy was great.
Like, so he's going in the confidence he's going into these press conference, given his guy's confidence, given his guys praise through these press conference, he's winning the media game as well. And I always tell y'all, I play, I love nothing more than the game within the game, and and man and playing the game within the game as good as in any twenty two year old that since I've understood the game within the game that I've seen a man is playing the game within the game better
than some thirty year olds i've seen superstars. He's playing the game the media game even better than some superstars i've seen. Like it's absolutely incredible. And so I go down this whole rabbit hole and my wife on like, hey, this dude has. Like when you start talking about a superstar player, Anthony Erris actually has everything that you would want in a superstar. Number one, he believes he's great. He wants to be great, so he hasn't. He hasn't work ethic because he wants to be great.
He has.
He's boisterous enough to let you know that he believes that and ain't gonna shy away from it at all. He's the furthest thing from soft, which a lot of stars you can bully. He's the furthest thing from saft, like he is the alpha male on the team, like the alpha is him. He's the leader of the team. It's very evident. If you can't see that he's the leader. Hey, Ray Charles can see better than you. If you can't see that Anthony Edwards is a leader, I don't know
what you're looking at. If you can't see that he's the leader of that team. He has that. He's fast as hell, he's strong as hell. He can shoot the basketball. He can get to the whole, he can finish over anybody. He can dunk on anyone. He has a midrange game, he has a floater. He can play defense. He's charismatic, has great personality, wants to win, instills belief in the other guy. He has everything that you will want in a superstar, Like if you could build a superstar.
He has everything you want. He's strong, like, so.
He given KCP hell because he's just too big, Like every time he see KCP on him, he can and he just start backing him down, Like I'm not sure what it is that he don't have that you will want in a superstar.
Actually, I'm sure it's nothing.
There's nothing that he doesn't have, And so I go down this hole like rabbit hole him and tonight twenty seven seven assists eleven for seventeen from the field. Like what he's doing has Minnesota poise to compete for their first for their first championship, And I think, you know, I think that is absolute amazing because.
A, this isn't an organization that no one ever took serious. B. When the Rudy go Beart trade happened, all of us thought.
All of our first reaction was, dang, they are putting Rudy Gobert in the paint.
They're gonna clog it up at Man.
And then even in year one, when it didn't work, and everybody's like, oh, Man, they're gonna have to trade Cat. They're gonna have to do this, And they stunned at Man's growth. And Man just went back to the lab, believed in his guys, continue to get those guys ready,
and now they are where they are today. And it's an absolutely incredible thing to see, uh, for Cat that come back from an injury that kept him out for most of this the latter part after the All Star break where I have to post All Star Break for most of the time post All Star break, and playing the way he's playing. Twenty seven points, twelve rebounds, very efficient, very efficient now on ten fifteen, shooting three to five from the field.
All that's great.
But what I'm seeing and I'm watching, and I just mentioned it before, is how Cat's competing on the defensive end. And I'm no longer talking about Rudy Gobert, I mean, excuse me, him guarding Joker. I'm talking about, Well, he's on the perimeter a couple times and Michael Porter catching the ball and Biggs don't know how to close out the wings on the perimeter and he closed out to the body and Michael Porter side step and most Biggs will be absolutely lost and stuck in mud and get that shot off.
And he closed right back to the body and take the shot away.
And Michael Porter got to get rid of the ball the way Cat is defending coming off of maniscous injury. If I'm not mistaken, man them boys hunger like you can see the hunger through the TV screen. I can
like you can feel it them boys hungry. And so they sit here with a going headed back home up to oh has Nicola Jokish completely bottled up, finished with sixteen sixteen and eight four turnovers, look very out of sing very out of rhythm, very uncharacteristic for Joker had Jamar Murray completely in the bottle eight points three fo eighteen from the field, losing his composure. What more can you ask for? There's more. You gotta go close the deal. Now you're going back home, and what more can you
ask for? I want to nitpick a little bit, And if I'm the Minnesota Timberwolds coach, I'm extremely extremely heavy on the nitpicking in our film session when we get back home. Why because I felt like Minnesota let go to rope a little bit in the second half and although they end up winning bout twenty six points or
something like that. In the end, I thought in the second half they kind of let they kind of played around with the game a little bit and they let Minnesota, excuse me, they let Denver in some.
Spots, gain a little confidence.
And when you're in a playoff series, and this is when talk about the know how, right, Like we've spoke about the know how.
This is the know how.
When you're in a playoff series and you got a team down like that, especially defending champion, you step on their neck. And I will say very happy with how Minnesota end up closing the game out. They ultimately did, but you could have completely annihilated them, beat them by forty points. And no, the forty points don't matter whether you be in boy twenty six or forty. It's the demeanor.
It's Minnesota start turning the ball over there for a while, you know, stop start getting a little fancy, a little carol with the basketball, with their shot selection, and Denver starting to make a run, mostly when Murray and those guys were on the bench and they had their benching.
Now somebody got a score.
As I told you all before, the number one problem that I thought Denver will have. It is their bench, big drop off from what it was last year, and in turn, I just don't think that they are the same team. Nonetheless, very good team still, but I don't think they're as dominant or as unbeatable. They are very beatable now, but as last year, and in large part
due to their lack of depth. So you don't really have guys who if you don't get it from those first five, you could have had a Bruce Brown come off the bench and give you twenty and pick up that slot. Jeff Green come off the bench, give you dunk on somebody, A couple of hustle players hit a three from the corner, get to the free throw longes he come up with thirteen fourteen points. You can't get that no more. You can't really get that like constant
production from Denver's bench. And I thought that that would be an issue from the gate. Now I was just online and I see people are like, oh, Jamorrow Murray is probably gonna get suspended for throwing the heapat I mean, I didn't think he gets suspended, although that was very dangerous. Somebody step on that. AA LEAs or west By b can really jack somebody up. But I didn't see that and be like, my first thought wasn't ah, he gets suspended.
It's crazy how people just automatically start calling for suspensions these days. I just don't really understand that. But in saying that, man, Denver down bad right now. No, not because they down two oh or oh to two in their case, but because you can tell they confidence was snatched.
Their belief was snatched. There's a lot of doubt.
I'm not sure when they leave Denver, but whether they get on that plane to Minnesota tomorrow or the following day on Wednesday, they get on that plane doubting, uncertain if they can compete with the Minnesota timber was and I'll tell you what, I'm uncertain that they can. When you're the defending champions, you always got a chance. I see Denver getting the game, which is kind of what
I thought from the very beginning Minnesota and five. I can see Denver still going to Minnesota and possibly pulling them off a game, but they don't stand much of a chance.
In this one. This is Minnesota.
This series has Minnesota's name all over at the length, the defensive tenacity, I'm not.
Sure what there is.
That Denver can do to change that speed of the game Minnesota Denver. Minnesota is bigger, They're faster, have far more length, They're better defensively, and I'm not going to say their offense is better, although it's proven to be right now, but overall, I'm not going to say their offense is better than Minnesota's.
Excuse me, Minnesota's offense is better than Denver, but.
It's not a big difference if it is, and because of how good they are defensively, what's going to make it tough for teams to beat Minnesota right now is you can game plan for all the things that you want.
The way that they are turning defense into offense is something that's very hard to gain plan for, and like I said, it has far less to do with what it has, far less to do with what Denver can do and what they can do to stop Minnesota, and far less to do it to being a flute like no, this is real.
What you see is what you get.
And so like I said, I think you can never count the champs out and maybe they can go get one, but Denver is severely overmatched, which brings me to point of man I was sitting here on the phone with a friend during the game. Bennie Fowler called me and he's like, just watching this game, the only thing I can think about is y'all want four? Like to think about how hard it is to win four, because everybody starts building to beat you, Like this Minnesota team is
built to be Denver. It's actually built beat them. And so when teams start to beat you or building to beat you, how long can you withhold them? How long can you hold them off? And right now it don't look like Denver can at all. They looked like they done walked into a heavyweight battle and they they ain't making weight and they severely under not over. So we shall see what happens with this series. But I'll tell you what, it ain't going no longer than five. And that is a fact.
God Lee.
I mean, I don't like I thought Minnesota would beat them, for sure.
I didn't know it would be this way.
And like I said, in watching it, it wasn't like, oh, they having a good night. It looked like one team didn't belong on the same court as the other team.
And that, my.
Friends, my listeners, subscribers, is a big ass problem, and I don't think it's solvable during this series. And moving on, my New York Knicks fans, what is good with y'all? How is everything y'all feeling good? Y'all won the game that y'all shouldn't have won, but when you do sets you up perfectly for the series. So now you know we spoke about this before and blowing someone out in
a game one. The New York Knicks won that game one just about as well as you can win a game one, because they're gonna come in a game too like ah, little afraid, little on ass, not afraid, but a little on edge.
And what what coach what? Coaches Coach Kirk, Cause.
It appropriate fear, having the appropriate fear for your opponent. And New York will come into next game with appropriate fear due to how much they were tested today. If you're Indiana and you get today, it changes the series for you. And they let a golden opportunity go. And when you're not head and shoulders above your opponent, letting one get away could be almost detrimental and impossible to make up. And I think that will be the case
for the Indiana Pacers. Jaylen Brunson had forty three six and six fourteen for twenty six from the field. That's the Jaylen Brunston I'm talking about. If you watch that game, he was not ball dominated at all. Dante was getting off, Josh Harten was getting off. And then in the fourth quarter, Jayleen Brunston took over, and I mean absolutely took over. And that's what you want to see because what happens is what tends to happen, is Jalen let those guys
do what they were doing. And he, you know, he was great, he was doing this thing, and then he took over in the fourth quarter. And when he took over in the fourth quarter, because Dante's had a game, because Josh Hart's had a game, because OG's had a game. Now you didn't got in your back, got in your back, and you and your bag every play and then all of a sudden, you have to get off the ball and you swing it and who you hit Dante Big three?
But why could you go to him?
Because he was ready for you, because you kept him involved the rest of the game. Dante catched that ball and he oh for four from three, one for one for four from three, one for five. That's a totally different shot. He locked in, He's in rhythm, and so then you can call up on your other guys. So I loved, absolutely loved the game Jalen Brunston played today. I thought he was like I said, he was getting
off the ball. He wasn't dominating the ball, didn't take a ton of shots, took great shots, got to his spot, very methodical. We spoke about the Indiana Pacers having Andrew nim Hard guard him. He's just too small, like Jayalen was just walking him to the spot and like raising up over. He shot at three once in his face like he's right there, not big enough, just raised up and shot the three. And these are all plays down the stretch. He's just walking him to the middle of the paint
and raising up over. And you know, nim Hard is their best defender, and we and we spoke our best perimeter defender for four for sure, and we spoke about that, and I just don't think that that is a good matchup for them. And someone may say, like, ah, he did a good job, and then Jaalen just got off in the fourth quarter, But I'm gonna tell you, it looks like Jayleen almost took that approach because he know he could get off when he wanted to get off and.
To let that game get away. It's tough, now, you.
If you're the Indiana Pacers, you could, in a very fool's goldish way, say Halley had a bad game and we still had an opportunity to the game. And I'm here to tell you you got a great game from all your other guys and not Halle. That's the one you better win. And so for me, I thought Holly looked a little timid. He looked very timid. Actually, I saw him turning down shots that he normally takes when
he's coming off the pick and roll. It was almost like he had tunnel vision and like predetermining what he wanted to do just to get.
Off the ball. Just some uncharacteristic plays.
He looked very frantic and like I said, just a little too timid for me. It's like he wasn't like it's almost looked like he was a little rattle by the moment, Like the moment the stage was a little too big because some of the mistakes that Halle was making. A Halle is a mistake free basketball player, Like this is the same guy who had multiple games with what do you have a couple games with twenty assistants, zero turn on something like that.
All She's like, this is.
A guy who doesn't like he's not a high mistake basketball player. Some of the mistakes he was making to me was just like eye popping. Like, you know, Miles maybe last four or five minutes of the game, comes and sets a screen. Holly's on the right side of Florida and he's going middle. He take one drip off middle and Miles pop. He drops the ball like throws it away. They go down, they get a dunk or layup.
And it's like, when I say uncharacteristic, is because Miles pop when he shoots, when he when he set a screen, ninety five percent of the time he's gonna pop. So just to assume that he was gonna make that dive like that, like one like not even a whole driple off and you're getting off it.
That to me just looked a little timid.
I said, turned down a couple of shots that he'll line up and he take those shots, and I was just, ah, you know, turn the ball over. Another play another uncharacteristic turnover. Ogannaobi flying down court? How he got one file, you move out the way just the playoffs. Foul him, make him go to the line and take those you got one file in the fourth quarter, foil him, don't just move out the way. And so I was a little disappointed at Holley's game. See he's too good of a
player to have that game. Like it was almost like you didn't go down swing. See if you even try swinging back a little bit. I think they actually get over the hump because everybody did their thing. TJ McConnell balled out, Miles balld out like Aaron Eatsmith, bad out, Obi topping bad out. So you don't like, you gotta win that game. And now Nicks feeling good about themselves.
They won one that they shouldn't want. They're getting game two, and so I think I think it's just gonna get tougher and tougher for Indiana, and I don't think they'll have much of an answer. The Knicks want to play fast. Indiana wants to play fast. The only problem is the Knicks can play fast, but they can defend. Indiana play fast, they don't guard, and they scored one hundred and seventeen
points today. I don't think the Knicks will give up one hundred and seventeen points to them again, and that's going to be an issue for the Indiana Pacers because all year they've been trying to be the first to one twenty. The Knicks got there by the skin of their teeth. But I don't think they'll need to get there again because I don't think.
I'd be willing to bet.
I can't bet, literally, but I don't think when Indiana gets over one hundred and fifteen points the rest of the series, because that will be the focal point. Remember, we barely won this game, we shouldn't have won, so we going into this film tips coming back like we gotta do this defensively.
That defensively, that's where they're gonna lock in the most at.
So I don't know. I don't think Indiana has a chance in Game two. I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about Josh Hart. The way Josh Hart is dominating these playoffs. He dominated those guys, and then he got every offensive rebound he wasn't supposed to get and just made playoff to play getting guy's extra shots. They hit a three off a couple of his offensive rebounds, like you gotta turn.
And box him out.
Josh Hart crashing the boars like Trician Thompson used to crash the boars sixteen, twenty fifteen, twenty seventeen, and with the cap.
That's how Josh Hart crashing the boards.
He playing great basketball, Dante playing incredible basketball. And it's been fun to watch. It's been fun to watch those guys kind of muster up and reget that thing back that they had when they won a national championship at Villanova.
It's been fun to watch now Knicks fans.
As I told Josh saw good friend Al Jeff, these guys are stout. These guys are talking about the Knicks and our number one hour goes. I've told my wife for years, none of the kids can get married in June because Knicks in the NBA Finals.
I'm not gonna be there.
I'm going like I've been waiting for all of these years for the Knicks to win the finals. I'm like, oh, they're not gonna win in your lifetime. I'm sitting there joking to mess with Out. He's like, Draymond, you stop it, and.
We go on and on.
However, I said all of that to say The excitement that Knicks fans have about winning this round one series is hilarious, is great for the sport. It's super fun. As a fan of the game, I think it's hilarious, but I think it's super fun to watch their enthusiasm. Like, Knicks fans are absolutely insane about the Knicks. And you know, I'm sitting there watching these guys talk about these series and what happens if the Knicks make the finals and all of these things, and the passion for that team
is unlike many things I've ever seen. Like the passion that Knicks have for the team almost rivals like the passion that European soccer fans have for their clubs. It's very, very, very interesting to watch.
And man, I sat and I laughed. I couldn't get around it.
And so I just wanted to say to you Knicks fans, I still don't think y'all have a chance that winning the championship. I told Aldie, I told Jeff this. I love the basketball that those guys are playing. It's very fun to watch. I'm not exactly sure when the expiration date is. I don't think it'll come in this series. I think they will handle this series pretty easily, and then the expiration date is next series. But for the
time being, Knicks fans enjoy it. There's not There hasn't been much else for you guys to cheer for over the years, so I get it. Enjoy every single second of it, because although I'm rooting for my man Dante and Tibbs and Earn, I just don't think y'all stand a chance.
That's just my opinion. Knicks fans, y'all don't have to go at me.
Quite frankly, I know y'all are used to it, So that's just that, and I'm gonna move on from that. However, that is the Jaylen Bruston I want to see moving forward in this series. They're gonna need more of that Jaylen Bruston, not just trying to get his but making sure everybody.
Else get involved.
Didn't take over, and Indiana Pacers are gonna need a much more aggressive, much better Holly Burton. And although I don't think it happens this year, but if Holly ever wants to become the player that I think he's capably coming that I believe he thinks he's capably becoming. At some point he's going to have to start defending on or competing on the defensive end. Like you just can't be a zero on the defensive end and think you're going to be an elite player in this league and
win at an eligue level. Have to give some effort and with like Holly six seven, like you can get in pass lanes. It don't necessarily mean you got to be a lockdown defender, but you have to do something. You gotta make rotations, like there was a couple of plays where he's coming from the corner and like he's the next rotation of Dante. Dante hits a three on
the left wing, Holly's laid on the rotation. It's like those things, like I'm not saying you got to sit down and lock a guy up, but those types of things. If you want to win championships and be great, your best player have to do those because when you do those things, A guys will want through a wall for you, and B you can hold other guys accountable. And if you can't hold guys accountable, then y'all can't win at any level. If you can't hold guys accountable, your best
player can't hold the guys accountable. Because they lack effort on one side of the floor, so they're not allowed to hold the other guys accountable.
You can never win that way.
So Holly's going to have to make some big strides in that area as he continue to move forward, because I think he got a chance to be spect show. But if he wants to be special in the way that you have to be special in this league these days, which is you have to win.
You have to win.
You not winning, there's an expiration date on what people believe or see of you as a top player in this league. And Holly's big thing is gonna be He's going to have to compete on the defensive end, and right now that ain't gonna bowl well for them because everybody on the next team is live. Everybody's looking to go, so you can't hide nowhere. And I think that's an important thing for them, an important thing in his growth
as he moved forward. Before we get into these mailback question, we'll just go over these or speak on these couple games. A couple of series that we have start Number one, Celtics versus cast I got Celtics in five only because the Celtics usually trick some game off, But the moil of the story is Cleveland Cavaliers don't stand a chance. So I got Celtics in five just because they do
their typical thing. But the reality is this series, this series should be done in four, but it'll go five in my opinion, not spending much time there because I don't think there's much to talk about. Celtic's gonna kick their ass and moving on now. This is a fun series. Dallas and Okac is gonna be fun as hell. You got two MVP finalists, you got that man, Kyrie Irving, you got.
By the way, I think Kyrie.
Irving is as good of a number two in the NBA as you can find. And then you have Jalen Williams, who I think could be poised to be as good of a number two as it's poised to be as good of a number two as you can find.
Is he ready to take that step versus Kyrie? Right now?
Kyle Animal and I personally got Dallas winning this series, and I actually got Dallas winning this series in five, six at best. And the reason I have Dallas winning that way is because I just don't think OKAYC is big enough for Dallas Dallas as length.
When you look at PJ.
Washington and Daniel Gafford and Luca, they also have girth like they're like okay See has length, but they're mostly skinny guys. I think dallas physicality in this series will actually make the difference. They're as good, if not better, offensively. I don't think their Dallas is better defensively, but with their length and with their physicality, I think that will make them better defensively.
And so.
I got Dallas taking this series and then eventually matching up with the Minnesota tim Wills in the Western Conference Finals. But I think this will be a fun series to watch. I think it's going to be very interesting to see how Dallas matches up. And the reason I think it'll be excuse me, how okayc matches up. And the reason I think it'll be interesting because Okayse he normally puts Lou dort on the best player, and I think it'll actually be smarter for okay See.
To put lou Dort on Kyrie.
Luca gonna do what Luca does if you can put Lou Dort on Kyrie to make it tough on Kai. By the way, making it tough on ky he can still give you thirty possibly forty. But my point is that's who you need to stop Luca gonna do what he do. You need to try to affect Kyrie. And the only person on their roster that I think is capable of doing that is Loudort. Now Jalen Williams, if he's ready to take on that challenge, he has great length, that has great agility six ' eight.
You should be.
Willing to take on that challenge of guard and kay And if I'm him, I'm begging for that because i want to show you all that I'm ready to take that next step as far as that goes, and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to win. But I just think that's where the problem is gonna lie.
I think.
Chet Is Pop is capable of giving Dallas Biggs problems. I think if I'm if I'm chet i am you know if I'm if I'm Okay. See, I'm putting chat in a lot of things to play off the dribble. I'm setting a bunch of inverted screens for Chet on Daniel Gafford, on Derek Lively. I'm really using Chadd in that way because that is how you can cause some
confusion in Dallas's defense. You bring those bigs out and start setting guard uh you know, balls, screens on Chet, let him make the reason, letting him go score, letting those bigs try to navigate that almost like okay, see runs a lot of guard guard screening roll right at the top of the key, and they let you make mistakes and then they attack them, almost like that, but you're putting Daniel Gafford in it and seeing and Derek Lively and you're seeing how they can adjust to that.
But needless to say, MAVs and five Jackson before we get out of here. Do we have any questions in chat.
My friend, we do from at Thrax and Jackson. Do you see any similarities between Ant and Steph? Obviously not in their actual games, but I'm curious your take there.
He actually only answered your question because of your name, do I I don't. Hell no, I don't see any similarities in Stephan Steph quiet Ant loud no, not at all other than they're both elite guards. Steph is a goat, so I'm not even going to put Steph in the same category as as trying to work to get to that and I think he's capable of working, putting the work in and getting to that category that those guys are in. But no, I do not see any similarities.
They both believe they're great. Steph is great and believes he's great. It is capable of but no, hell no.
From at marky Mark, Jalen Brunton's now scored forty plus and four straight playoff games. What's the best way that you think to slow him down?
You know what's crazy is I told myself I was going to tell you all this when I was watching the game, and I actually forgot, So shout out to you for your question. I'm telling my guys, when Jaylen Brunson drive, don't recover rod Is hip. The reason I'm riding this hip is because you ain't affecting his shot being in front of him. He's just raising up and shooting over Guys, if I ride his hip, you can't shoot. Now. I'm just forcing you to my big and then I'm
making you finish over lane. And so what I would tell guys is when Jaylen Brunson gets a step, because he's going to get a step, he's clep It's clever with the ball, grateful, work. When he get a step with a live dribble, do not try to recover and cut him off. Do not try to stay in front of him. Ride his hip, drive him straight down to the big, and let's see how he can finish over length at the rim, because he gonna kill you in the mid range all night, all series long.
If you keep letting him get to that mid range and raise up, good night, go home. It's over. Good year has been real to rap.
Ride the hip, get on his hip, and I ain't even trying to block your shot. I ain't trying to recover, so it's no need for me to get over zealous. And he gonna sell a file. No, I'm right there. I'm showing my hands.
I'm riding the hip. No recovery. You got to go to my big and then let's see if you can finish.
If you want to drop the ball off the hard stud and Mitchell Robinson and see if they can beat us with your drop offs, great, go for. But what I'm not letting him do is get to where he want to get. Stop on the dime, step backs, get you here, raise up over you, now, ride the hip, force him straight to the big. I'm not recovering on you at all. See if you can finish over that big and you know they got Myles Turner through. It's a great shot blocker. So let me ride your hip right to.
Him, all right? Last one from Jaden two nice? Does the winner of Timberwolves Nuggets series make it to the finals.
Winner of the Timberwolves Nugget series? No, the winner of the Dallas Timberwolves series. It's probably winning the finals. That's what I got. The West is tough. I think when you look at Boston, they're gonna come out of the East not really being threatened having played against teams like the West, and also Boston struggle against all these Western Conference teams all year because they have the lane, they
have the speed, they have the defenders. And so I'm gonna take it a step further and say, the winner of the next series like difference done. So it's let's stop the winner of Minnesota Dallas. I think it's an NBA champion. That is a rap from this episode of The Draymond Green Show. Shout out to all y'all who checked this out live and all of y'all that's gonna check this out later.
Love y'all, till next time, Peace,