The Draymond Green Show - Game 7 Reactions + Conference Finals Previews

fan duel sports book makes it easy. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to The Draymond Green Show. This is an exciting podcast. Is This is the first one we've done since Clint the second round and moving on to the conference finals. Extremely excited to be back in that position for long two years. Uh And you know, actually the last two playoffs, I've been kind of watching them like

on vacation, and it's been great. It was cool, but I'd much rather be in this position, Like I got the rest of my life to watch basketball playoff basketball from vacation. So you know, this is this is a I think I have a much deeper appreciation for being in the Conference finals this time than I did the

previous times. You know, you kind of in the midst of a five year run of every year going to the conference finals, every year going to the NBA Finals, you you kind of just expect to get there and like you expect to win it. And you know, after two years of not being here and you know, experiencing that and then coming back, like it's just a totally different appreciation just for competing at this level. Like having I saw something from Clayton the other day where he said,

I'm just like, like, I like the pressure. You know, you you you love the opportunity to just compete at the highest level. And it's no higher level than the NBA playoffs and the Conference finals and the finals. And so man, I'm extremely excited to be in this position. And then as we know, as we now know, the Dallas Mavericks went into Phoenix and one I actually expected the Dallas Mavericks to win this game. I also picked the Dallas Mavericks to win on the pod. As you

all know, forty that's tough. That's tough. I was shocked at at the game plan going into to the game for the suns and like they were still switching everything, and and Luca had been inviting those switches, and he was calling, you know, started the game. First play, he called DeAndre a up and got him into the switch.

He got to this little spin step back off the left foot dirt and then the next three, next player was a three and and you just knew, like, all right, you know, when you get to a game seven, you're already you already know they know what we're trying to do. We know what they're trying to do. Who's gonna play harder, who's going to get the boss made the best man win, who's gonna shoot best? Whose roles player is gonna come up a little more? And Luca dominated the game early

and then the role players got going. They were actually missing shots early on. Jay Len Bronson was missing early on, Dorry and Pennie Smith was missing early on. Where the where the other guys started actually got going was when Mster came into the game, Special came into the game. He really got it going, and then everyone else picked it up. And that was huge. Um holding Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and DeAndre Aidan in the first half to

one for fifteen shooting. I think that's been one of the biggest improvements in the in the Dallas Mavericks team is their defense. Um and from the start of the season two now they are totally different team defensively. And I mean, as you can see, they held the son to the Sons to twenty seven points in the first half. It's hard to find games in the NBA where a team has twenty seven points at the end of the first quarter. They had twenty seven at the end of

the first half. I mean, that was an incredible display of dominance by Dallas. Incredible display. You know, you you want to point out, like their defense is great and twenty seven points, you want to point out their offense was great, and guys had it going. It was just and display of dominance and Luca got going and the rest of the guys followed, and so that I'm sure I called a lot of people off guard. Like I said, I thought they would win, of course, I just didn't

predict that they would win by forty. But the series outcome did not surprise me. It didn't surprise me. Go to State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies Game six, man, let me tell you something that game. As you see, you can see we went up ten, they cut it. The two we went up ten, they cut it. The one we went up ten, they go up one. As I I tweeted this a while back, that Memphis Grizzlies team.

Those young eyes are unfazed. They're unbothered by anything, and that's such a great trait to have when you're trying to make runs. They were never phased by our runs. We get down to the six minute mark. They may have been up tour as a tie ball game right in there, and that's when we started to make our run. We started to pull away. But that team, that team has a bright future, has a very bright future. Now what that team has to fight against is now they're

gonna be expected to do more. Right, so you go to the second round, tough match up with us, they're going to be expected to do more. Accolades come in all of those things. Egos get bigger, you know, as as guys get older, as they solidify themselves more, and so that team has to keep all of that together. You know, I know everyone's out there saying, oh the money and this. It's the things that go on within your team that matters much more than money. It's it's

the culture, and they have it. They have a good culture. Those young guys. They rock with each other, they dance, they do all the stuff. But again, as you get older and you don't dance as much, you know, and you don't celebrate as much, your party together as much, or whatever they may do, that's when all of those things matter more and more and more than obviously reaching

new levels of success. But as I said in my press conference the other day, with all the chippiness in the series and the injuries that I knocked the gritty when the shot goes up the he filed him, he

heard him, um whoop that trick. Like all of the stuff that went on this series, as you're going through that, I'm just like, I can't wait to finish this series off and just like shut these dudes up and like Gritty on the court, and like, you know, those are just the thoughts you're thinking as you're going through it. And then I got to the end of it, and I'm like, man, that was so hard. It was so hard.

I have nothing but respect for those young guys, nothing but respect they the way they fought, the way they competed from the beginning of the series to the end. Uh, they made us a much better team. I don't take that for granted at all. Um. I mean you just you really have to get those guys their credit. And for me, um, you know, I saw even after Dillon Brooks like, oh they're getting no like uh I said

that last year. Um, you know, like alright, cool. I thought Steph guilty with him what he said there was a dyno. He was a dynasty like stop, you know, and and of course stopped. Like I think what that team will learn as they continue to grow is how to in There were some things that went on in that series that just shows me that they're still young, and as they get older, they'll learn how to win.

They'll learn, um just different things about winning games down the stretch and how to pull out these tight games in those situations. They'll continue to learn that as you get more experience. And that's what you always hear a team say, like, but that team knows how to win and and and so you know, I know there are some things that they'll continue to get better out and they'll continue to grow game playing, discipline stuff. Um, just

different things that you learn. I don't want to say you learn by losing, but you learn going through the process. And normally when you have to learn going through the process, you do lose, and so it's not necessarily that you learn from losing. You just learned by going through that actual process. And so I think, you know, the next

time we face those guys, they'll know more. I don't necessarily say that they're gonna beat us, but they'll no more, and it'll get tougher, and it'll get tougher, and then one day maybe they will because whosever the king of the parking lot forever? You know, So maybe one day they get it. But we're still going and it's still fun and we're still doing what we do. In Game six, Clay is still Game six Clay. Game six, Clay last time playing in the playoffs before this year was Game

six and he was cooking Toronto Raptors. Game six Clay showed up again. And you know, I think one of the beautiful things about Game six Clays like that obviously became this narrative and like this thing of people saying Clay really believes that now like in his hand he liked, of course, his Game six like, of course I'm gonna do this, are you crazy? And like he approaches the game like that, and it's one of the most incredible

things to watch this. I mean, it shows you how powerful the mind is, Like for those out there that just doesn't understand how powerful your thoughts are, how powerful your beliefs are. The mind is a very powerful thing. And he believes, like Games says, Clay is a real thing. And guess what, Killer Clay believe it. I believe it, and he continues to show it. And so that was

absolutely incredible. I thought. One of the big things that I really took away from that game and how hard it really was, is Steph finished the game with nine Clay finished the game with thirty. We just finished the game with eighteen eleven. I finished the game with fourteen fifteen and eight assists. LOONI finished the game with twenty two rebounds. We did not pull away from that team until the four or five minute mark of the fourth quarter.

We needed all of that, We needed everybody to play. Well. That's how tough that young team work. They were really tough, and you have to, like I said before, you have to give them their credit. But we definitely put it all together, and it was great to see all of us have a good game and need it all play well at the same time. In order to move forward, I have to once again, I'm not just gonna breeze over this, like this isn't a big deal. Cavan Looney

was absolutely amazing. You know, Steph and I have been pushing for him to start, and you know the reason we were is just like it may not have looked like that or felt like that on the bench as a coach, but on the court, it felt like we were getting dominated. Like if you're out there, you're like,

you feel like you're getting dominated. Another reason I really wanted Cavan and starters because I wanted to start on Jaren Jackson from the beginning of the game and I would uh, and going through the series, they started trying to take advantage of our lack of size on Jaren Jackson.

So I would get on him and I would feel like he's kind of looking at me like fresh meat when I come out there to garden, but he's already kind of in his rhythm and feeling, you know, the provido from scoring and and so I wanted to start on him from the beginning of the game. That was a big thing for me starting that game. It's like, I need to take him out of the game from the start of the game. First play, what do they do? Go to Jaren Jackson on the post, come up with

the stop. That sets a different tone for our team. And that tone is set by who I know. I got to stop. And most people say, oh, Draymond, you set the tone. That tone is set by simply starting. Cavan Luney, That's who set the tone. And he rebounded the basketball eleven rebounds in the first quarter. I came out the game. When I came out the game in the first quarter, I looked up, I said, man, lout and then he got a rebound. I said, yo, look

got ten rebounds. They're like yeah, I'm like wow, this is impressive for Cavan Luney to play, not play much at all in this playoffs, really is guarding Joker when I was out, and then you know, for him to then play a career high in minutes, not playoff minutes, a career high in minutes, have twenty two rebounds, saved the day, saved the season. I got to give a

lot of credit to that young man. Uh guy who been through numerous and injuries plays eighty two games this year, Like, whatever happens to Lone this summer, and I hope it's here, I hope it's here. He get whatever he he whatever happens with him, he deserved because that's a guy who worked just but all fought through injuries, true professional and he come up on the biggest stage. So shout out to Kevon Loni and what he did for the Dubs and extending our season because we needed it in a

major way. And moving forward, Dallas and the Dubs meet in the conference finals. Um extremely excited about this, as I said, Uh, definitely gonna be a tough matchup anytime you're playing against a guy like Luka don che Um. You know he he can control the tempo of games. He gets whatever shot he wants, he gets other guys involved. Um just an incredible, incredible, incredible, absolutely the incredible talent Um he you know, he and he's been that way

since since he walked into the NBA. I remember when he first came into the NBA and he said, it's easier to score in the NBA than it is overseas. And everybody I know, guys are like, Wow, he's out of his mind? Is he crazy? This the NBA? And when he said it, I understood what he was saying, like, and what he was saying is like, there's so much more space on an NBA floor, and overseas they packed the paint, they played from the outside in, whereas the

NBA everybody's trying to take the three away. And so Lucas like, it's way easier to score here. And I knew. I knew and understood exactly what he was talking about. I keep up with overseas basketball. One of my closest friends, Raymond Morgan, players overseas, was having a great career over there, and I just pay attention to the game, and it's just so much bigger, Like you get away with playing two huge bigs like Logs overseas and it's just not that way in the NBA. And so I knew what

he was talking about. And he's proven what he said was true because the way he scores the basketball is absolutely incredible. Jalon Bronson has been playing absolutely amazing. Uh, He's earned himself a nice payday coming up this summer, but he's he's taking that next step. You know, he was kind of coming off the bench and role player and he's taking that next step to the starter and legit number two options for those guys, and so um gotta guard Jalen Bronson. He's huge. He you know, he

takes advantage of smaller guys. Um. You know, he kind of plays an old school game, doesn't make many mistakes. So Jalen Brunson will be big for them. And then they have those guys shooting the ball during Phinney Smith, who's an incredible defender. Uh. I've raved about his improvement and even when he got his contract here, Um I spoke about that and just how much how deserving he was, and he's continued to show that. Uh to pick up they had with Reggie, with Reggie Bullock and how he's

defending and shooting the three. What Nico Harrison has done and coming into his first year and put in building this team, building that coaching staff with Jason Kidd and the gym that no one talks about Jared Dudley. Um, I mean Nico has done an incredible job. And you know they pulling the trade with Spencer did with him. You know, no one would have gotten rid of Porzingis you just people don't do that in the NBA. Nico.

I'm sure I know Nico. I've I've when when up up against Nico and negotiations when Nico was an executive at Nike, and Nico will make tough calls, like Nico is not a guy that won't make tough calls. And when I when I look at that, Spencer then with the trade with Chris stops porzingis no one would have done that. And I am certain that that was a Nico Harrison call because I I just I know the type of negotiator he is. I know he's not He's not the type of guy that won't swing for defenses

and stand on what he believes in. And I I just don't think that's a move someone else would have made. I definitely think at a Nico Harrison moved and Spencer dinwidd he has shown how big of a move that was, not only in these playoffs but the remainder of that regular season. And so you know, when he played well,

they tend to win. MAXI Claiber who's shooting the ball well, uh Dwight Pole who starts the game for them, and Claiber has been playing a lot more in this series, but all of those guys matter, and so you know, they found uh Frank Tilakina. Nilikina has found himself at home and he's defended for those guys, and so you know, that's a really good team. It's gonna be a tough matchup for us. I think one thing we know we

have to do is get our turnovers down. Those guys will feed off and turnovers, and you know that's something that you know, moving forward, we need to correct. And so that will be a big deal for us because that allows us not only to get good, good looks and more looks at the rim, but it allows us to set our defense. And you know, anytime you're playing against the set defense is just much harder than when

you're plan in transition. And that's what you know, that's what we've allowed the Memphis Grizzlies to do, even something with the uh Denver Nuggets. They're just getting out and transition against us for turning the ball over. So we definitely have to take better care of the ball um and and that will be uh probably key number one on the offensive end for us is taking care of the ball. So if we can correct that issue, Um, which I have no doubt in my mind that we can.

I am the main one. I need to correct it myself. I've been I think I may have had four more turnovers in each game uh in the Memphis series. So I have to correct that issue as the rest of us do as well. But it starts with me, and I will be better in that area and I think that will allow for us to be better as a team. But I am expecting a tough series. You've got two great coaches coach kurrent and and and j k going

up against each other. I'm looking forward to the chess matches, the chess matches on the court against their guys like that's all fun. And so looking forward to that. Doves Dallas in the East in the out in conference finals, and who's my prediction My prediction for that for that match up, It's the Dubs of course, of course, Celtics Bucks Jason Tatum. The way Jayson Tatum took over Game

six absolutely amazing. And I'm just saying, I have people said telling me, Draymond, you need to get off the podcast. Um stopped doing the podcast during the during the playoffs, blah blah blah, and what they weren't paying to paying attention to was me saying, hey, that's not market smart. Fought they lost that game. That's j T thought they lost that game. And I'm putting that on the young fella. And what did young fella do? He wouldn't have made

it right? He went to Milwaukee and got forty six and nine. Make it right, j T. Make it right then, and shout out to the to the people that say, oh, Draymond, you shouldn't be doing a podcast. You should focus I I look forward to the day when they when they reach out, when they tell Elon must and I'm sure they do when they tell Elon Musk Tesla stock is doing bad, you better not focus on SpaceX at all. You know, no no one does that. You know, no one was You know, no one thinks Jack Dorsey was

wearing Twitter and Square to to multibillion dollar companies. No one says Jack Dorsey can't run too because the other ones uh having a bad day on the stock market. But yeah, they want me to not talk about Jayson Tatum and do this podcast and and play basketball. Stop it. The podcast is not going anywhere. So for those out there that saying, oh, Draymond should stop doing the podcast Welcome to the Draymond Green Show. It's not going anywhere.

Jayson Tatum was absolutely incredible. He got in foul trouble in this game, in this Game seven, but the way his imprint on the game from the very beginning on both ends of the floor that once he went down with foul trouble, he had those guys rolling, He had them locked in, confident and they kept rolling. And Milwaukee was not able to take advantage of Jayson Tatum picking

up his fourth file. And that's really where the Celtics won the game, because if you're Milwaukee, you really have to capitalize on Jayson Tatum picking up that file, and they did not, because not only did it take Um their best offensive player off the floor, but it took one of their better defensive defenders off the floor as well, and they were just weren't able to capitalize on it.

And that's this series, I mean, really all series long, but especially as a series progressed, you realize how much the Milwaukee Bucks was missing Chris Middleton. Uh and that's

you know that Chris Middleton. Janic's averages the most points, obviously, but Chris Middleton is their number one option when it comes to scoring, when it comes to the sets, when it comes to all those things, when it comes to time to get a bucket, Chris Middleton is their number one option on offensive end, and so for them to be missing him against such a great defense like Boston, kudos and congratulations to the Milwaukee Bucks for even taking

that series seven. But the absence of Chris was just too too big to overcome, and they they felt that. And obviously we're watching the Celtics move on. Not saying that the Celtics couldn't have moved on if Chris Middleton wasn't was there, but the Bucks definitely felt that. And I thought it was pretty impressive for both teams to go on the road to win two games. That's just tough to do in any playoffs, and for both of those teams to do that, I thought that was impressive.

Um Marcus Smart continues to play well. Al Harford continues to play well. But Grant Williams, I know that analytic guys were, I mean, I know they were in heaven watching Grant Williams played day. At one point, Grant Williams was seven for fifteen from three um, he was no, I'm sorry. At one point he was six for fifteen from three. I think he had twenty one points. And for an analytical guy, that is heaven. That's heaven. That's like, we got this guy to take fifteen threes, he has

twenty one points. Those analytics off the chart. Now, Grant Williams continued to shoot that thing, and he continued to shoot that thing well, and he finished with a playoff career high twenty seven points. That is the difference between home in a way, that's the difference your role players at home as opposed on the road. Grant Williams didn't played very well in Milwaukee, but on at home, come out firing, lose nothing to lose, crowd on your side,

and Grant Williams got it going. Grant Williams made himself a lot of money in that game right there. Now, obviously he has another year and you know the business of basketball. But Grant way, the way he shot the basketball and the way he defends, uh, the size that he has, like he shot the ball all season long very well. So I'm not taking anything away from that. But when you go on that stage in game seven, to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, and you do that,

that means a little more. And Grant Williams showed up in a major, major way for the Celtics. Jalen Brown, the way Jalen Brown was attacking from the very beginning of the game, putting those guys on his hills. Also another reason. Another way you see that they missed Chris Middleton because as opposed to that being Grace and Allen who had no chance, that's Chris Middleton who does have

a chance, who's a good defender. And so again you see the loss of Chris Middleton and how that was just it was too much for the Bucks to overcome. You got the heat Celtics coming up in the Eastern Conference Finals. That's gonna be a tough match up. I'm taking the Celtics the and I'm taking the Celtics is because Jason Tatum is gonna be Jason Tatum. Jaalis Brown is gonna be Jayden Brown, and their defense is going

to be their defense. And I think Milwaukee, I mean I think Miami, who depends on Tyler Hero to score a lot, I think Tyler Hero will have some trouble against all of Boston's length, Jimmy Butler would do what Jimmy Butler does. But I think the way they depend on Tyler Hero scoring and how much length I think Tyler Hero. Tyler Hero definitely has some good games in this series. I'm not saying they're gonna completely take him

out of the series. He's a good player, but I think over the course of a seven game series, that length is going to bother him. And they really depend on that scoring. Uh, p J. Tucker in this series in Miami. Having p J. Tucker this year does help and and and and could possibly change that series. Also another thing that changes that series, it's will Kyle Laurie be available or not. I think that's a really big deal when you're facing a good team him a good

defense because Kyle Lark can help manipulate the defense. Um and, so that's gonna be a big deal as well. But ultimately I got the Bucks winning that one, um and and ultimately moving on to the NBA Finals to play Dubs. Jackson Before we get out of here giving my picks my thoughts, I know you're happy your Boston Celtics going to the Eastern Conference finals. That is a big part of this podcast that we have not discussed in the energy. It's Jackson been sitting here smiling on the screen his

entire press conference because the Celtics won. But Jackson, I don't know, you've got something to say about the Celtics. Man. Hey, I'm I'm just happy we won. I'm just happy one and I'm hoping that uh and whatever it is ten days, twelve days, something like that, that we're staring down the barrel of the Celtics Warriors finals. That sounds great, man, I'm looking forward to that. Hey, hey, my JT. Remember I told y'all how how Jackson was just talking about

show on the last spot. How set the fans getting now he can't stop smiling. Yeah, looking at the find as you see. How to fands be man? Uh, Jackson, you got a couple of mail back question for before we get out of here. I do. This was not an officially submitted mail bag question to the Draymond to The Draymond Green Show, and by the way, a reminder

to submit your questions on Twitter hashtag d Draymond Green Show. Um, this was a good question that I thought, in the spirit of the Celtics winning from Jeff Goodman at Jeff Goodman, the college basketball reporter, He said, where does Tatum rank in terms of the most quote complete players in the NBA? Because he said Janice doesn't have a consisting three point jump shot, Luca doesn't defend with consistency. He did not

mention Kevin Durant, but that is a fair question. Where does Tatum rank in terms of the most complete players in the NBA? Jeff, what's something? Man? I think Jeff may owe me dinner for a bet about h some of with college basketball. I don't know. Maybe I'll owe Jeff dinner. I think it's possible. Mayo Jeff dinner. Jeff, what's up? Jeff? Next time? Hashtag to Draymond Green Show. But because you are Jeff Goodman and because you are my guy, we still found a question. Shoutout to jackson Um.

Where does Tatum rank amongst complete players? I don't think. I don't think there's a shortage of complete players in the NBA. So as far as like sitting, like ranking them, I have That's something that I've never truly thought about because I don't think there's a shortage. I think we

have several complete players. What I will say is I think Jason has continued to grow and and and credit to uh email Udoka for getting him to take that next step on the defensive end, because I think this year is the most I've ever seen j T lock in on the defensive end, and he takes it personal now and you can see that in a way he's defending, in the way they're defending as he takes it personal now.

And so I can't just say all these years before that j T was the most complete player, but I think he has grown into that and he is that now. And I do think some of that credit goes to Emay and their coaching staff on requiring him to play defense on you know that that being a non negotiable, like no, JT. I know you can score, but if we're gonna win, you have to play some defense. And he's taking that next step. J B is taking that

next step, and they're really truly defending. And so I don't really want to get to who's the best, who's you know, whereas he ranked, but what I will say is he is now on that list of complete players, whereas he wasn't prior to this year, in my opinion, because he didn't always bring it on the defensive end like he does this year and he does all the time, alright. Next one from at White Don Draper, what were you saying to Katie and that famous gift where you're like

tapping him and hyping him out? By now you sort of talked about this, you're just hyping him up generally, But what specifically were you saying to Kevin during I can't remember exactly what I was saying, but I was. I think guy was saying something about like they want to guard something like that, I got you, and if I got you, I'm gonna roll with you every time, like against against against that what they're down there doing,

and I got you. Mean to tell me I got you, I get you the ball, I'm rolling with that every single time. They can't stop you. Nobody down that's somebody in this league can stop you. So if that's what they're gonna give us, I'm rolling with that every single time. And so it was something along those lines. I can't remember verbatim, but it was something along those lines, all right. Last one from Fern at Cloud Division. How are playoff

games different in Chase Center versus Oracle? I thought this was interesting to revisit because we talked about this earlier in the season and you basically said that because he hadn't had any had any playoff games or relay much of a playoff experience in the Chase Center, you had to build up that playoff culture. Now you've won two series in the in the Chase Center, so so far

at least, how would you say it compares. I think I think, you know, Chase is starting to make a name for herself, Chase is starting to become a good home court advantage. But I still can't compare it to Oracle because there's just so much success in Oracle and we have to continue to create success in this building. Um, what I will say is, I think an Oracle, like you walk in the warm most Oracles, you can't hear like they would cut off the music, just be too loud.

Like I think that was one of the differences, like when the crowd gets going, Like once our crowd get going, now it's going, But Oracle will be going from the very beginning of us stepping onto the court, not the buzzers. Are us stepping onto the court, And so just a different type of energy and Oracle, nonetheless, it's becoming a great home core for us. We're protecting our home court has been super loud. When we just played that Game six, that sounded and felt like oracle and it was insane.

But again, we're building to that point and and and and a part of that responsibility is on us as players. It's not on the fans. And so we're bringing what we gotta bring. They're bringing what they need to bring, and we're making it work and we're putting it together. That's a wrap on this episode of The Draymond Green Show. Your Eastern Conference Finals are set, your Western Conference Finals are set, and we will be set to lock back in Wednesday after game one for the first episode during

the Western Conference Finals. Come back, check us out. We appreciate your support to our loyal subscribers. Thank you, thank you, thank you. On to the Western Conference Finals. I'm on the Prepare Baby until Wednesday night Thursday morning. For you. That's a rap piece.