The Draymond Green Show - Game 5 Reaction: The Wiggins Game + Steph Struggles

fan duel sports book makes it easy. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to The Draymond Green Show. We are recording this late on Monday, so really Tuesday morning. Uh. And obviously Dubbs won the game tonight to take a three to lead in the NBA Finals. Absolutely incredible night. Let's get straight into that. Doves walked away one o four to ninety four. Andrew Wigginess. That's we must start by talking about Andrew Wiggins, who had an absolutely incredible game.

He had twenty six points and thirteen rebounds. I love the aggressiveness. What I what I love most about the six points is not that he had twenty six points is that he took twenty three shots, and that just shows the aggressiveness. It was exactly what we needed, especially uh with stef struggles, which we'll get into later. Um, but for Wiggs to play the way that he played. Thirteen rebounds again, you're talking a guy who before Game four his career high and rebounds for any game, and

his career was eleven. And now he backs that up with sixteen rebounds in game four, and it comes right back with thirteen rebounds in game five. Amazing. Now Wiggs has been rebounding the entire playoffs, and he has been rebounding extremely well offensively, defensively. He's really showing and using the athleticism that we all have known that he's had forever. H I mean, he's shot right out of a cannon.

But I think the thing that most people have to understand is and appreciate Boston is a very very, very very physical team, and to rebound against them, you have to take hits, you have to box out because they have guys that's athletic as well. You know, one thing coaches always preach, especially when you're playing a team that's as athletic or more athletic than you. One thing coaches always preaches, you're not going to win a jumping contest.

You're not just going to outjump people. You have to box out. You have to get in position for rebounding. And that's what's been absolutely incredible to me is a lot of times in these games were small, so you know he's in there amongst the trees, boxing out getting rebounds. Another important thing about rebounding this is containing dribble penetration because if you can if you can contain dribble penetration,

it allows your defensive shell to stay set. And if your defensive shell can stay set, then you have a better opportunity at rebounding the basketball because you have inside positioning. And so that is a very important thing when it comes to rebound which is why you always hear people say the game is tied together. Tied together on the offensive end uh the defensive end. You can play as great a defense as you want if you don't come to the possession does not end until you secure the rebound.

And that has been a key for us in this entire playoffs. Obviously a key in this series, but all playoffs long. That's been a key for us, and I think the thing that I love about the most is guys are really stepping up to the challenge and rebounding, because that was kind of a knack on us. You know, the knack was that that team can rebound or two small, X, Y and Z, and it's actually been one of our

biggest strengths in the playoffs, so extremely important. Robert Williams has been incredible on the glass all series and it's you know, I think he had a few of them tonight. But we're we've been doing a great job rebound the basketball, and in order for us to close this series out is going to be even tougher to rebound the basketball. So we have to make sure we stay locked in on our details. Make sure you're hitting bodies, boxing out, not just trying to out jump people, because that is

a big key for us rebounding. Now. On top of wigs Um playing the game or having a game that he had offensively, his defense was absolutely incredible as well. Uh taking on the responsibility of Garden Jayson Tatum is not an easy task for anyone as he is a young superstar in this league. As he is a guy who I told y'all before at USA, it was Kevin's team. We all knew, we all, no no problem, Like that's what it is, Kevin two. And you can see Kevin Connor do it, ushering JT into it being his team.

It's like when we needed a bucket. You know, Kay was doing his thing, but when we needed a bucket, all right, now go to j T. J T, go get us a bucket. And so that is the guy that I had the opportunity to spent a summer with, had the opportunity to win a gold medal with, and watch what he's capable of, and he is absolutely amazing. And so for Wigs to do the job that he's been doing defensively is just a true testament to his will and his want to be great on the defensive

end as he's been all playoff long. Because like I said, the I mean, especially when you start talking about like like JT is a legit six teen. The only player that you can even come remotely close to comparing him too in this league is is Kevin Durant. And we all know how I feel about Kevin Durant and what I think, uh, what I think about him on the offensive end. One of the greatest scores we've ever seen. Now Jayson Tatum is like a young version of that.

Obviously don't have all the experience that Kevin has. Kevin's and what is fifteenth or sixteen the Jts in this field, and so you'll continue to see that grow. But nonetheless who he is right now is absolutely amazing. And to see Wiggs doing the job that he's doing defensively has been a key, key, key piece of this game of

this series for us, and it was definitely huge tonight. Uh, Steph, as I handed that earlier struggle shooting the ball, has sixteen points on seven for twenty two from the field over nine from three a streak breaker. By the way, Steph had made one three and two hundred and twenty three games. I'm not mistaken. I think it's two hundred twenty three games. Could be more. That he had made a three in in in his playoff career and he

didn't make one tonight. For most people Jackson, by the way, what I noticed y'all is as as I've told y'all before, Jackson, and so if you Jackson is a big Boston Celtics fan as we all know, UM and Jackson just be watching my microphone do this, and I feel like it's because playing the Celtics, because if we weren't planning the Celtics, he would tell me that my microphone is like this and that I can fix my boom. I think this

is a boom. Yeah, I can fix my boom, but Jackson doesn't tell me because we're in this heat of battle with the Celtics, and although, um, we continue to produce this great podcast for y'all, Uh, it's really like between me and Jackson right now, but we we we we continue to put that to the side and try to try to bring our fans what they want, which

is the pot after the game. So we're here. But so if you see me continue to keep I told myself, I'm gonna keep looking at this screen and I'm gonna check and see when this is messed up, because I'd be going back and watch the pot and they'd be messed up like seven minutes, and I'm like this, dude, ain't say nothing to me. So if you see me keep picking with it, just know I'm on it and I'm locked in back to stuff. First playoff game ever not making a three? What does that say to me? Hey,

the Boston Celtics defense did a good job. I think he missed something that he would make for sure, but they did a good job. You have to get our defense credit. We we know their defenses is as advertised. But what that says to me is game six, I feel like he's just got to be due for an explosion because he didn't make a shot tonight, And like, when does Steph Curry not make a shot? And I've seen Steph not make many shots before and I know

how he responds to that. So to see him not make a shot, I know the response that I'm expecting to him not making a three. Let me back that up a three. But nonetheless, I was still extremely important to the game. Obvious see our offense stop and go with Steph Curry. The gravity that he pulls um to

allow other people lanes, to allow other people open shots. Uh, there's not been a player in NBA history that pulls more gravity on the offensive end, and Steph Curry and so impact was obviously still felt was very good on the defensive end, very aggressive on the defensive end. And then it was obviously just Steph Curry. No, he didn't hit the three, but still control the entire pace of the game for us, controlled the flow, got us into the things that we needed to get into to make

his impact felt even though he wasn't hitting shots. Um, obviously I filed out of the game. I think I filed out with eight eight and seven or something like that. I felt a lot more like myself today. Came out the gate really aggressive on the offensive end, which was great for me to just kind of feel, you know, see the ball go through the net a couple of times,

number one, but also apply pressure to their defense. I think that's very important that I apply pressure to their defense and not allowed them to just play in gaps and all of those things. Uh. And and I thought I was able to come out and and do that tonight was apply pressure. But more importantly than applying pressure to their defense. Um, it was just the mindset, you know, uh, the force. And I think with the exception of maybe the first couple of minutes or the third quarter, we

played with that force the entire night. And I thought that was huge. Now, yes, they continued to go on and run there in the third quarter. Um, the Boston Celtics went eight for nine from three in that third quarter and although I think what what happened was there they found their rhythm those first couple of minutes, they brought it to us. They picked up, they caused a couple of turnovers, they got out in transition, They hit

a couple of buckets. Jaylen Brown got to the free throw line twice, went fourth and fourth from the line and start to have and then that kind of got them going. Then you had a uh, you had a Jason Tatum three, you had an our horror for three, you had a markets Smart three, and they really got

it going. And you know, kudos to our guys for staying of course, not getting rattled and just stand there understanding that they're a great team, they're gonna make a run and we we have to respond, and we did,

which was absolutely incredible. But I think for for for them to go eight for nine and the third quarter from three play as well as they did, and then Jordan's Pool hits another almost half court shot, I thought that was that was a huge momentum swing for us, because for them to have the quarter that they had and then to go into the fourth quarter down all those by one point, it's just the psyche like what it does to your mental and so we're going in,

we're going in to the fourth quarter and we're going into our huddle and we're like, yo, they played a great quarter, but we're a haad one, whereas they're like, yo, we played in an absolutely incredible quarter. Keep it going, but you look up and you're losing. And like I said, although it's only one point, it's the psyche. And so I thought that was absolutely huge for us, absolutely huge. And JP had a very good game off the bench. Gary Payton had an absolute JP had fourteen points off

the bench. Gary Payton had fifteen points off the bench. Was absolutely incredible on both ends of the floor. He was cutting back door, uh got a few deflections for offensive rebounds, and then he was obviously Gary on the defensive end. And so it was great to see him have the type of game that he had. Um, you know, I thought game too when when he first got back

he had an absolutely incredible game. And then you you know, when you first get back that first game, your your emotions are like they're through the roof and you can

feed off of that. Then you came that second game back, you're you're not quite feeding off the emotion, and then you have to kind of just play to your conditioning level and all of that, and I think this extra week has helped him, has helped his condition level in a very important way to allow him to have the game that he had tonight, because it wasn't emotion Like those emotions from returning from injury are gone and so

now you just have to play. And I thought he did that tonight and it was absolutely incredible is what we needed. Those fifteen points were huge, and so that was great to get that type of production from our guys off the bench. Killer Clay Thompson five for eleven from three twenty one points, a couple of st else, incredible defense. Um. I think I think there was one point in the game where we're running back and forth down the floor and like Clay's mouth is literally just

dripping blood. Now most people would go to the official like, yo, like can I get this. Dude's just running back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and his mouth is like literally you can't see his bottom lip at the whole lip was like filled with like covered in blood and and timpal Clay flat, timbal Clay fashion. I don't think he thought anything of it. He probably thought that's how he was supposed to be running a brown out there looking on and Clay, but just another

testament to who Clay Thompson is. He shows up in big moments, he backs down from no challenge, and we needed we needed it because again Clay Steph was obviously from three, and Clay he carried us. I think also I thought another thing that was huge was Clay Clay Thompson, the way the force that he came out the gate where he had five points, like deep into the second quarter, and it had to be the loudest five points I've ever seen. I looked up one point like this, dude,

ain't got five points. They were so loud, just because the aggression and force that he came out playing with from the gate, and it was absolutely huge. He goes five for eleven from three. He's actually the only person in our starting in our starting lineup to hit the three tonight, and so we really need him shoot like that. Obviously the Celtics didn't shoot it grade either, but to go nine from forty from three and still win the

way we did, that's that's very very very uplifting. That's something that you you know you can grab onto and going on the road and understanding, like man, we couldn't hit a shot, you make a few more of those which we normally do, and I think we will and you put yourself in position, uh to to come on with the championship, which we're one game away, and it is going to be the absolute toughest game that you can imagine going into Boston Number one, that place is

going to be absolutely insane. But then you're trying to close the team out on the road. Closing the team out in general is tough, extremely tough. Closing the team out on the road is It's like a whole another monster. Now in saying that, there's no better feeling than closing the team out on the road, but it's hard to do. I think we're capable. We've done it before, have no doubt in my mind that we can do it again.

But we have to go in there with with an even better mentality than we did tonight if we're to secure this win, and it has to start on the defensive end. I think tonight our defense was absolutely incredible. We were able to cost eighteen turnovers on the flip side, we were able to take care of the ball and only having seven turnovers, And I think that was a huge, huge, huge part of the game for us because shots already weren't falling, and so now you couple out with turnovers

and it's a totally different story. So I thought that was huge for us to take care of the ball h the way we did um and ultimately helped us walk away with the wind. But as I said, we shot from the three. You need to bump that like another going into Boston so we can close this thing out. But I'll tell you what it's. It's it's a it's a very exciting feeling knowing that you're one game away

from the ultimate uh Hilarry O'Brien trophy. It is the most nerve racking feeling knowing that you're one game away from Hilarry o Ryan trophy. So for us, it's important that we show up to the plane them are already to go. Not get the Boston chill out. You show up to that plane, them are already to go. Because that's how hard it's going to be, and you're gonna feel that energy immediately stepping into the city of Boston.

It's not like you step into the ring, and you feel that you're gonna feel that energy immediately stepping in. So I think it's important that we bring our hard hats to the plane ready to go because we're one game away and it's going to be the toughest one yet. As you know, it is one. Like I said before, it is one forty seven in the morning. Now I still need to pack. I did eat already this time though, but I still need to pack. But before we get out of here, as you know, we're gonna take a

couple of male bad questions. Jackson, you got some for us? Yep. First one is gonna be for me. Actually, you just said that there's no greater feeling than closing a team out on the road. You've obviously won a lot of playoffs series you clow teams out on the road at Jay Center and at Oracle. Do you actually do you prefer closing a team out on the road or you prefer doing in front of the home fans. I've done both, and the reality is that they both give you two

different feelings. Going on the road and closing the team out. In the silence that you hear in an opposing crowd, it's insane. Feeling because you feel like you just conquered them. And so that's great having an opportunity to close the team out when you're at home and sharing that moment with your fan base. I mean, that's like it's glorious, Like I mean, you just feel it like it's absolutely incredible.

And and so I to say one is better than the other one is like, yeah, you can have your preference, but they're both absolutely incredible, but they give you different feelings. You know, ultimately, yes, you won a championship, but the feeling that that that the two of them give to you are two totally different feelings and for different reasons. Great answer from s At Sultan, Yeah, what are some things you do in between games to help you mentally?

I try to Um. You know, that's different in the playoffs than it is a regular season because in between UM games during the regular season, like, yeah, I think our season is nine months long. So in between games during the regular season, you're just going on about your life, like you're living your life. Whatever you do, family, UM, golf, video game, whatever it is that you do, podcast, like, whatever it is that you do. You're just continuing on

with your life in the playoffs. At least for me, everything is centered around how can I be my absolute best for this next game we got coming up. So that's massagist, that's stretches, that's acupuncture, that's ice, and that's sauna, that's eating, Like you're trying to do everything that you can in between those games, and so watching film and

so I don't. For me, it's not really much that I do in between games to help me mentally other than see my wife and see my kids, because that's always going to bring you to a place of saneness, that's always going to bring you to a place of calmness. That's all always gonna bring you to a place of vulnerability,

you know, And and so for me it's that. But even in saying that, like you're not always trying to be around your family during the playoffs either, because there is a certain mental space, there is a certain edge that you need to keep, Like it's hard to just be letting that thing go and then rediscovered it, so you also want to keep that as So trying to find that balance is absolutely important and and ultimately as a father and a husband, you have to do it

um but you still try to stay as close to you can as close as you can to that just that level of insanity for lack of a better term. If you will last one and reminder to submit your questions on Twitter at hashtag v Draymond Green Show. I thought this one was particularly interesting for Tonite because of how emphatic you were to challenge your sixthval call so from Biscuit at Biscuit Underscore eleven. How has your relationship with Steve Kerr developed over the years. I think we

just understand each other. We understand that we have a very similar fire. Um, he knows how how to press my buttons. He know when I need to be pulled aside and talk to I know when I need to

pull him aside and talk to him. Uh. I think I think the way our relationship is has changed over the years or developed over the years, if you will is there's just there's just a huge sense of trust, there's a there's a great understanding of each other and and we rely on each other, like I really rely on him to show me things, to teach me things, to coach me up, to show me things and film too, but but more importantly to lead this team from a

coaching standpoint, and he relies on me to lead this team from a player's standpoint. He relies on me to give him feedback from things that I see on the court, um, you know, to give him some feedback on where I think we should go next. It's just a trust that we have amongst each other that's just grown and grown and grown. And we've been together for eight years now. We've on some incredible things together, But that trust wasn't

always there. Like trust, trust is something that is built over time, and it's not something that once you gain it, you keep it. It's something that you're working on constantly, day in and day out. And I think with my the more that I've matured, the better understanding and relationship that we have, and it's absolutely incredible now. But I can't say it was always that way. Um, we were

we were growing and relationships take time to grow. And I think when you meet someone, when you meet someone that is just like you, those usually take a little more time to grow than someone that's the opposite of you. Because opposite the opposite a track, and so when you meet someone that's the opposite, it's like Boom, Stephen Steve. Their total opposites click right away. Clay and stuff you

click right away, total opposites. When you run into someone that's so much like yourself, it's not as easy to click with that until you get the understanding, like, man, I'm the same way, like I'm just like that, you understand it from a different place and then you view it differently and that it's a rap from this episode of The Draymond Green Show. Talk to you guys after game six and hopefully when I talk to you, I'll be a four time chance. That is the goal as

the plan. Let's hope it all come together until next time. That's a rap piece.