The Draymond Green Show - Warriors-Nuggets Game Three, Celtics-Nets & Grizzlies-Timberwolves Predictions + Injury Bug

fan duel sports book makes it easy. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to The Draymond Green Show. Like we said earlier this week, UM, there will be no guests during the playoffs, but we are going to try and do two shows a week so I can keep you updated on my thoughts about the playoffs on UM, including our series as well. We are actually recording this right after Game three, which you could probably see. I still can't stop sweating it. But let's get into it, man, I

mean Game three. Takeaways from Game three. Jordan Pool like that, UM, Jordan Pool is the most improved player in the NBA. I'm gonna keep saying that until they get sick of me saying it and actually changed the way the voting

is because I it's absolutely ridiculous the voting system. And if you don't think it's ridiculous, then looking no further than Jordan Pool, who is who was on All NBA third excuse me, was on All NBA G League third team last year and now he's the leading scorer to go to Stay Warriors in the playoffs, um championship contender. I'm still waiting on someone to show me who improved more than that. So, uh, my fight is is one of two things, or maybe even both. Number one is

change the voting system. Number two, change the name of the award or add a criteria to what actually makes someone most Improved Player or what makes someone the m v P or what makes themone a Defensive Player of the Year. Let's just let's just identify what exactly that is because it's ridiculous. So, yeah, I'm talking about Jordan Pool again, and if you're watching basketball, you would be talking about them too, or if you knew what you

were watching. Some people out there, not everybody, but you know, there's a lot of people out there that think they know this game of basketball, and it's just not the case. So and again we can see that because Jordan Poole is not the most improved player. Jordan Pool is not even the most improved player of the player of finalists. So when I say people don't know basketball, look no further than that. Um, Joker had a big game tonight.

I I told you all after Game one he was trying to go for he was gonna try to go for forty or fifteen. He almost did it tonight. I mean I didn't get the assists, which is important. You know, you don't want all the other guys getting off. And you know, tonight they had Aaron Gordon had his best game of the series, which which was big for them, which was a huge part of the reason. You know, the game was that tight down the stretch. But Joker

was amazing. Man. I thought they did a great job of of of playing in space with him, um picking and popping. Uh. He did a great job attacking clothes. I was my clothes. I was were terrible. Coach Kerk got at me, Um when he called that time, I was Joker. Pump faked me with like three minutes ago, got down the lane and got to lay up. He called the time out and got at me like, stopped jumping off your feet. I had done in like four or five times. And I went back at coach a

little bit. I'm like, well, I'm getting drug all the way down on the floor and I'm it's an impossible clothes out. You're like, well, make them hit the shot. I'm like, well he already hit two of them two for three. When he's going to get a lay up if you keep doing that. And so we had a little little moment um, nothing like the moments used to be. It's just him challenging me, and I asked the question and he say this, and I say this, and then

you know, coach, get the final safe. And that was that. He tried to change the coverage. I told him, no, don't change the coverage. I'll figure it out. And I was able to get some stops down the stretch come up with with a big still you know, that's still. He took the first dribble and once he took the first bounce, um he hit me and I still had

inside position. So once I realized I still had inside position, my mind immediately turns to see the ball and so on the second bounce, it was like away from his body, and so that's advantaged me because I can use my quickness and I can use my length. I got pretty long arm seven two winks man at six five and three quarters. That's pretty solid. So um, I knew that

that was to my advantage. So I'm like, Okay, now I'm thinking, if he takes one more dribble like this, I'm a stab at it, and if I get it, great. But what I'm thinking is I know I can either get it or just take a swipe out of it and not filed because he had the ball so far away from his body and I just took a stab at it. I got a good hit on the ball, and you know, you get a good piece of the ball when you when you knocked the ball away and it like spin to you when it takes that spin.

Sometimes you knocked the ball away and it just goes straight out to guy, run back and get it. But I knocked it away and it took that back spin on me. I said, oh yeah, I got this one. But I mean the reality is he had got the better of me all night, and you know he had won to match up for to night. I thought I wanted to match up in the first two games, but

he had won to match up tonight. And you know, I've always said it's gonna be some nights like that where he's getting off and and you know, you just try to make it tough and there's there's really just nothing you can do. However, I think I definitely ate it in him getting off. Now take that the wrong ways. An absolutely great player, But I thought I left my feet way too much on shot fakes. I thought I gave him way too many angles to score, and I was I took my body off of him way too much.

Now you ask yourself why I'm one That Denver altitude ain't no joke. Uh, that Denver altitude is serious my Oha city for a reason. You go to breathing and so um, excuse my my bad breathing. But that's how you feel on the basketball accord in Denver, I mean, and so uh kudos a joker man. He showed up like an m VP would. Uh. What one thing we do know about him is he's not soft. He's not shying away from no red. Uh. You know, he he wants to reck and and he carried his team tonight uh.

Down the stretch, we made plays that we needed to make. Steph Curry is absolutely incredible. The way Steph Curry bounces back from injuries is like, like, dude, don't miss a beat. Like maybe in the first you know, when he stepped out on the court. The first time he's back out there, it's like getting the field. But look no further than that first stint, because he he does not miss a beat. And I'm not saying this after this series. I'm not saying this just tonight, Like we've seen this over and

over again, even and in playoff time. I know you'all remember that Game three in Portland's Um where he came back and we won that thing and a single or double overtime and Steph Curry took over the fourth quarter and overtime. I think he might have had thirty points in fourth quarter and overtime. Like we're steps no strangers to this, We're no stranger to this with step But the way he bounced back from injury, I mean, and

it's absolutely insane. One of reporters asked me tonight, like, so, how do you compare the way Steph Curry comes off injury and where you come on for injury. Well, he's just only the best shooter to ever live. And that's clockwork, you know. Now, I don't know why I can't. I'm a rhythm player, I'm a field guy. I need that feel. Steps just kind of go like he ain't looking for no field. He just kind of going and taking what the defense giving him and making the defense give him stuff. So, uh,

Step has been incredible. Uh. We spoke about Jordan Pool Clay Thompson. Not only did Clay Thompson shoot the ball well, and I'm gonna tell you a very deceiving stat And if you don't believe it's deceive and go back and watch the game and pay attention Clay Thompson battle with Joker down the stretch on rebounds after I got switched off for different things and and and Clay got his

hand on every rebound down the stretch. He only had one rebound for the game, which was very shocking to me because it does not tell the story that he does, does not tell the story of him. On the boards, Andre Godalla hig Man has come up with some big boards. Garden, Joker Garden, DeMarcus cousins Um dunked on Will Bardon turned back the hand of time, old man. You know, it's all always good to see Drey take off like that.

But Drey was huge down the stretch. And then Wiggins Um was out of the game, comes back in the game, hits a big three, gets an offensive rebound, gets a stop on joker like. Those are the plays that win championships. It's not Um what everyone thinks. Everybody just come down and shoot threes. Those are the plays that wins games. Wins you championships. And kudos to Wiggins, the guy who's been drugged through the mud, who everybody say the guy

don't show up. He only had nine points. I hope everyone can see for a sea pass that and see the game. Guys playing big time basketball in the first three games of this series. We expect nothing less than we expect him to keep it going. So and then Gary Payton man GP, came out fire and hit three threes in the first quarter, which was great for us. You know, when you when you're coming on the road. The one thing we expected coming into this game where

they were going to be super physical. You can see Aaron Gordon climbing and the guys right from the gate. Now you know you do that, and you know, guys go buy you and it gets tough. But their mindset was exactly what we thought it would be. Uh. They took on the personality of their head coach, very hard nosed. You know he's gonna come with it. They came with it,

and you gotta get on credit. But that is the ultimate gut punch when you go on the road, um up to oh and a team is giving you their best shot in game three, and you can take those punches and come out with the win and set yourself up for a suite, put yourself in position for a sweep. That's the ultimate gut punching. There's no better feeling then walking off a court and you can hear a pin drop. It doesn't get better than that when you go on the road in the playoffs. That I mean, that is right,

That's the ultimate feeling as an athlete. So I enjoyed that with man and I hope everyone else enjoyed it. You know, game game four going to be tough. Those boys just not going away. Ask you a question, Absolutely, you had five fouls for the majority of the end of that game, and you're obviously a very physical defender. And you know you could just trying to get into

your body. So what's your thought process when you have five fouls are guarding a guy like that a for the entire last few minutes of the game, but especially on that last possession when you're going for that steel, Like what is going through your mind? Are you trying to defend him differently? What are what are you doing differently or or not differently when you have five guarding a player like that with that in the fourth quarter especially, I had that that that play was actually kind of

deja vu from me. I had a play like that some years back against New Orleans and the playoffs, and Anthony Davis right on that same side. And if I'm not mistaken, I may have had five fous in that game too. I think the way I look at that one is on the steel in partio, that is a very calculated risk. Like I'm not I see where the ball is, I'm reaching out, you know what I'm saying. I'm not like trying to get through his body to get the ball. I'm just reaching and slapping at the ball.

And and so it's it's that that one is a very calculated risk risk um and saying that five files or four minutes ago, if I file out, then guys just gotta pick up the slack. But I can't play the last four minutes worried about picking up my six files because guess what he's gonna do. He's gonna take advantage thinking he got five hours. He's not trying to file again when that's not me. I'm I'm I'm gonna play defense. I'm gonna keep my hands out, try to

make sure I don't get any tikie tax files. But ultimately, if he makes a great move and he makes me file him he's a great player. That happens sometimes, And so I didn't think much about the five hours at all. I thought more about the four files. When I picked up that fourth early that I thought more about that one, then then the fifth file, the fifth, and four minutes ago, You're just gonna have to file me out right there, Chap, because of what I can't do is just give up

buckets trying to stay in the game. If I'm gonna just give up buckets, I might as well go sit down. So for me, the mindset don't change with five files with under four minutes ago. The mindset is still the mindset you gotta get stops and we go on the other way. Man. As we talked about before, that Celtics Net series is absolutely incredible. You got the Nets up

seventeen points, everything going their way. And let's talk about something else that happened last night with that game that most people don't know it's really a thing, but it's it's a real thing. The emotions of someone receiving a big award before the game. It's it takes the emotions of a team everywhere. I've been a part of a couple of Steph Curry moments that he gets the ward, um one for myself, and I would love to know what actual winning percentage the team has after a guy

receives a big award. It is very hard. Like when you're a part of these teams, you go through these through these seasons and you grow so tight with guys and you have to be tight in order to win. And when you see one of your brothers get a big time award, like you feel like you got that award and then booms, first time to play a game. The emotions that you still have from that a war.

It's hard to flip to that game but you know who flips right to the game, that team that's watching, You get that awar And last night Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irvan took full advantage of that. I mean the nets obviously, but they took full advantage of that started that game, and then Boston found their legs, they found their feet, they got going, and then the game was back and forth. Celtics took the league, nuts Stocking back

and then ultimately the Celtics took the league back. But I mean, you have to give Boston a lot of credit on the way they defended Kyrie and Katie, but in particular Katie um K just looked like he couldn't find a rhythm. Now, I was very shocked that they had him bringing the ball up so much, because guys were just getting into him at half court, climbing into his triple and it looked to make him a little uncomfortable. Now,

I wouldn't apply, I wouldn't expect that. If I'm Boston going into the next game, you know, you get one, but you ain't locking that guy down for an entire series. And they've done a very good job these first two games. I mean, you got guys flying at him left and right every time he shoot the ball as two guys contesting his shot, one coming from the review, a guy in front. You got guys on the side of him contesting his shot. I mean, the the defense Boston is

playing is absolutely incredible. I expect Brooklyn to put Katie in more pin down to where he's catching the ball, like at the free throw line, at the elbow area, because good luck stopping him with those. So I was a little shocked by how much he handed the ball um. I thought one good sign for Brooklyn was Bruce Brown, Gorn and those guys playing as well as they played on the role on the road, because role players typically

don't play great on the road. Now Drug has just been here, you know that's by all, Like we know dragging track record. We know he shows up in big games. But for Bruce Brown to go have the games that he had was absolutely incredible. And now he's going home. I don't know if people aren't expecting it, but you should be expecting him to have a huge game going

back home. And so you know, if he can continue to play that way, you get some of the other guys going Seth Curry, Uh, you know, he's playing through injury and and going through all of those things. Ben Simmons is expected to return in Game four. I'm not sure how I feel about that. UM to miss the entire season of basketball and then go into Game four, which could possibly be a closeout game, could be a possible tie uh game to tie it up, I'm not

sure how I feel about that. UM And I know he's getting pressure from that way, that way, that way, in that way, but the reality is to not play in the game. And the Nuggets have been talking about this with Jamal Murray, and I'm just like to not play in the game all year and then go right into a playoff game. I worry about that. I mean, just keep up with that intensity, like I worry about that. So, I mean, we'll see what happens. Maybe they'll pull it back.

Hopefully they will pull it back. But I don't. I don't. I don't quite love that one. And you know, you you bring a guy back after missing the entire season because he is, are you expecting him to be the savior? Like I don't honestly think Brooklyn needs saves. I mean, they had Game one one and was up seventeen in game too. Now you gotta close the games out of stuff. But I'm I'm a little worried about Ben Simmons coming back. I mean, well, we'll see what happens, but I worry

about that one. But with all the pressure that's coming from every angle, I don't I doubt that they'll pull back on it. But that's something to watch. And and you know, um, these guys have never played with him. It's not even like he's returning to the same team that kind of note. I don't know, man, we'll see, but I was. I was a little shocked by that one. Um, so we'll see. But I would definitely be tuned into that game three because that series is amazing. You've got

great scores on both sides. Boston Celtics defense is absolutely incredible. Uh email Eudokers doing a great job, Marcus Smartest being a true point guard. I mean, Jalen Brown is taking better and better shots. J T. J T took a couple of questionable shots in that third quarter. I was actually about the text j T and say, man, you you you you're playing a little soft right now, JT. But just like any great player does, he had a little moment where you know he had a couple of turnovers.

Then he had that side step um on the left wing like tough one after he just bobbled the ball when they threw the pass over the top of bobbled and missed like he was having a rough stretch. And I was about to text man, I said, I'm hold off, and then he did what JT does down the stretch put them away. Draggings was ready to contest that dribble. Uhuh, I'm bigger than you. I'm just bigger than you. I'm gonna raise up and raised up Candom boys sent them

back to Brooklyn. But now they got to go into Brooklyn, and I think that's gonna be tough. So I'm looking forward to how Katie and Kyrie gonna respond. I've played years with Kevin, played against Kyrie a bunch of years. You don't keep guys like that down, So I'm looking forward to seeing how they responded, how Brooklyn respond But that Sai reason is far from over. So Game three is going to be very excited. And then Memphis and Minnesota that I don't even know what to say about

that game. Minnesota built up two separate twenty two plus point leads, two separate leads. Now, like the lead didn't get cut to sixteen and they took it back. The league got cut to five, and then they took it back to then they lost the league. But how many times have you seen the team get up twenty two points and twenty five points at separate times and not scored one hundred points. That's interesting, That's very interesting. And there are some things to take away from that one.

That means Memphis went on some huge scoring droughts, as did Minnesota, um, but some huge scoring droughts. And two, how do you how do you get up that much and not even break a hundred twice? You got up that much. That's mind boggling to me. And I was watching this game in the locker room before our game, so I am I know exactly what was happening, and I was watching it. Carl Towns three for four from

the field. I'm sorry, foul trouble, No foul trouble. Carl Towns can't go three for four from the field, and you actually still should have won the game. Carl Towns has to take more than four shots. And I think this is I mean, this is maybe the second time in the last four games that he's taking seven shots or less, that's your best player. That should all star.

Carl Towns has to shoot the ball. If Minnesota is gonna have a chance to even this series upheaded back to Memphis, Carl Towns has to shoot fifteen plus shots. Carl Towns has to take advantage, full advantage of his game, three block whatever. Carl Towns has to shoot the ball more. If I'm if I'm Minnesota, If I'm Memphis and Patrick Beverley wants the ISO every play, you have to live

with that. Whether Patrick see Patrick Beverley got it going early and he finished with fourteen points, and he was in attack the whole game, but he finished five for thirteen. If you're Memphis, that's exactly what you want. Because if Patrick Beverley is attacking GI everyplay, that means D'Angelo is not shooting. That mean Anthony Edwards is not shooting. That mean Carl Towns, who was three for four from the field,

it's not shooting the basketball. So if I'm Minnesota, I'm not sure exactly what I want is what Patrick Beverley did. Now we all know Pat Bevan and you know he a dog. He he gonna get with it and and he's gonna try to show guys up. That's what he do. But if I'm the Minnesota timber Wolves, as as much as you love what Pat was bringing to the game, you got to get the ball to the guys that

scored the points. And and that didn't happen. So you know when when when Patrick Beverley, now you're or Memphis, you don't want job getting in foul trouble. So that's tough. But if Patrick Beverley just wants the iso, John Moren, If I'm the opposing team, I'm living with that. You have to live with that because again, that's taking the ball out of your best scorers hands. So we'll see what that adjustment will be. Will Patrick be Beverly be

as aggressive as he was? I think the aggression is great, but I thought it got a little carried away. Um because again Carl Towns was three for four, so um, Anthony Edwards didn't shoot it as well as he's been shooting it. Uh, this this game is so if you're Minnesota, what are your takeaways from that game? We know we can build a lead, we know these guys aren't going away. What do we have to do in order to actually

win these games. See down the fretch. I know Carl Towns went in the rhythm, but the gravity that he pulls, I gotta get him the ball on the post. They're not playing Steven Adams anymore, so now you should be going to the post. The advantage in early in the series was on the wing. Now the advantages in the post. They're not playing their biggest guy. So guess what, you go to the post. You take advantage of those guys

in the post. What are they gonna do. They're gonna say, he kills us in the prosch where we bring Steven Adams back? All right, then you mosey on back to the perimeter. You gotta play the game within the game. So I was very shocked that Carl Towns is still catching the ball at the top of the key man. He should be getting post touches, especially with them going

with the smaller lineups. So I think that will be one of Minnesota's adjustment and look for look for Carl Towns to come out extremely aggressive to start that Game four. And if I'm if I'm if I'm if I'm Memphis, I'm probably throwing double teams out carled Towns to start that game for because he's gonna come out aggressive and you get him going, then he's starting tis out to

the kick out to those other guys. All of a sudden, it's not Um Patrick Beverley, Ice On and Gize Patrick Beverley getting open corner threes because there's so much help has to come. So uh we'll see man and then lastly before we get out of here, the injury. But we have been hit with the injury bug all years, so we know how it goes. But you got Chris Middleton who will be reevaluated in two weeks. That's a huge blow from Milwaukee going into Chicago. Tie that one

and one missing. See Chris Middleton is is Milwaukee's closer. Like they don't go to Yanage down the stretch to get a bucket. They put Janice and Chris Middleton and picking rolls and then Chris Middleton makes a play. So that's a huge loss. I expect uh Drew to be way more aggressive how to ball a lot more. But I mean, we'll see what happens with Chicago if they can keep taking advantage of you know, the way they did the other night. Vosovic was incredible. De Mar de

Rosen DeMar got it going. Damar said, I'm not I won't shoot five for twenty six again. He did not shoot five for again. Uh, forty had a forty ball. I was with one of three players in Chicago where the last three players for certain in Chicago to score forty ball in the playoffs was your your airness Michael Jordan, the man himself m V P. D. Rose and to margin Rosen, I mean absolutely incredible game by DeMar said, you know what, I'm gonna just get to my spot

him and raise up. And he did that all night and then to to to lose the lead up three, go straight out. Janni's take the contact with the finish. Gotta get that man all the credit. He told y'all what he was gonna do, and he went out there and did it. The book goes out with an injury, with a hamstring injury, and I think the thing to

watch with the books hamstring injuries. This isn't books first hamstring injury, you know, like this is maybe books fifth for six hamstring injury, and so you have that's not like I sprained my ankle um, which I did tonight. By the way, that's not like I sprayed my ankle. Let's take this up and let's give it a go hamstring. You got no explosion and you can't move, And so that's a big loss for Phoenix. That loss gives New Orleans the two best players on the court, which is

hard to overcome. Now, no disrespect to CP CPS thirty seven. I don't personally think CPS gonna give you all of that for forty eight straight minutes. At this age. He can give it to you and stretches, but to carry the load for forty eight straight minutes game after game after game, that is a very tough thing to do. So, um, we know CPS capable, but that's very, very, very hard to do. And you got a guard, guys on the other end. It's not like CP can just go sit

on somebody and take a break. He got a guard on the other end. And so New Orleans is in a great position heading home up one of the the one. I know nobody expected this, but that is the playoffs. Things happens, Injuries happen. Uh, that is all a part of the game. That is all a part of winning championships or not. And it's unfortunately. You hate to see guys out, but you know that's the hand that uh Phoenix was dealt. Now they have great depth, they've used

that depth all year. Again, you're removing the best player in the series, so that's tough. But we'll see if they can rely on that depth. We got Lucas still out miss game three, but Dallas Jalen Brunson is playing incredible. Jesus Christ, he's playing incredible. Um and all the other guys are playing well. Uh. They seem to be taking advantage of Rudy go bear space on the floor and you know he collapses in That's a very normal thing for a big man. You put him out in his space.

Their natural instinct is gonna be the retreat to the rim. That's what you've been taught your whole life, and they're taking full advantage of that therapy. Two to one without their star. UM. I don't think Luca comes back game four. Why would you even bring him back game for you gotta spree swing. Uh. At worst, you bring you know, you bring him back game five if it's two to two, if it's three to one, you still bring him back in game five because you want to give yourself the

best chance to close the series. That's if he's healthy. If there's any shot of a doubt, you you just keep pushing them back. But you gotta get those guys credit the way that they're stepping up. Jay Kidd is doing a great job. And Jared Dudley. This game plan that Dallas has going on has Jared Dudley's name ridden all over it. Does come up with some crazy schemes and I think that I think that game plan has his name written all over it. But get those guys credit.

And then last, uh, team hit with the injury. But young fellow Scotty Barnes, the Toronto Raptors, Scottie Barnes his day to day with a foot injury. It's a big dude. Uh, He's a lot bigger than most people think. So foot injuries can be tricky. Uh down three. Oh do you rush him back on a foot injury? Probably gonna get swept. I'm not sure I'll rushed back my young fellow to get swept anyway. So we'll see what happens with that man.

But I'm wishing all those guys good health. Uh. You never want to see anyone get hurt, and you know, this is this is what we do. And I always say, you don't. You don't lead a court and and not live that injury. You lived that every second other day. So I wish those guys well and getting back healthy. And you know, we'll see, We'll see what happens and how this affects these series because injuries is a part of it, but it definitely affects outcomes. Before we get

out of here. Do you see the the Warrior's stat that's going around at least by Warriors pr I have not seen the Warriors said what does. The Warriors have won at least one road game each of the last twenty four Playoffs series, an NBA record streak that began with the road victory in Denver first round of player. Hey, now, deja vu. You know what Raymond Ritter told me right at the game. He said, man, can't you want a road game? And on that and everything? Every reason you

guys right here? So I mean, I always say, you know, even if you got home court advantage, you don't want to be that team that's just trying to win home games. That's so much pressure if you can go take one in the world you're gonna take one. Now we did that, I'd like to get greedy and get two on the road. So that's the goal from here. Um, you know, guys, gotta stick with it. We got I think we gotta do a better job executing the game plan. We didn't.

We didn't do that today and that starts with me. I was terrible executing game plan. So we gotta do better. Uh. Road wins are hard to come by. But it was ugly, but we pulled it out. You gotta come back Sunday looking to pull the brooms out. That's what it's all about. You gotta get greedy. That's what we spoke to our guys about. Get greedy, don't get don't settle for one.

I thought I thought I was watching that man. And so the Memphis series, last game before tonight, in game two, I thought Minnesota looked like, God, we're going back home. We did our job, and then you lose one at home. You gotta take advantage of those opportunity. So that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to come out in game four in this series, not give them any life, not give them any hope. But that's a rap from

this episode of The Draymond Green Show. I will talk to y'all hopefully after we close this series out on Sunday. Pop back next week. Until then, Draymond Green Show, It's a rap piece.