The Draymond Green Show w/Baron Davis: Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals Game 2 reaction

Somewhere along the archives you can see me talking about like the NBA course and how like it was so dope when at the center of the court was the logo, but the big Larry O'Brien trophy, like that was so dope, it was fire. What happened to that? And like sure enough we had went to like the side saying the finals or trophy somewhere, and like what happened to that?

You know? And so we come into this year where by all intensive purposes, everybody's kind of been writing off this NBA Finals, you know, and in large part because it's like a two new cast of characters. Okay, see in Indiana. But when I said also newcast of characters, it's not bron it's not Steph. You know, it's not like Jason Tatum or you know guys who you've seen in it over and over and over and again. It's

not that it's different. It's young. It's young gossip. So I feel like a lot of people have been writing this. This spinals off and so with that going on, the last thing I would expect it is like no trophy be on the court. Like I'm a fan of the trophy being at center court, big as hell, and like, there's no trophy on the court, and you know, I saw everybody going crazy about the flag waving, flag is waving, and then the trophy appears on the court. I saw

some funny memes on Instagram. One of them there they gave us the here n word here trophy. I said, oh my god, here, get out here, get out here. Here you go, like the internet is undefeated. But you know, I was really shocked by that, and so, you know, and saying that getting back to the game game two, we have a one to one NBA Finals, Okay, see even that out winning the game one twenty three to one oh seven, kind of getting back to their dominant way as although it's crazy, man, I don't know what

to make of this series. You know, you watch this series and it's crazy because okay, see that's two times now where you see them building up that big leading you think they're about to like and it just kind of floats around twenty nineteen, seventeen, eleven, twenty two seventeen, like it's kind of flowing. You ain't necessarily seeing them put them away how they've put teams away. And to me, that's interesting because you always know, like with Indiana, what

they've shown is that they're always in striking distance. You get them a puncher chance, they taking the chance, and so they've shown that and so this series is just a little weird to me. I think when I watched this series, when I'm taking away after a couple of games, is like, who are the most important players in this suities?

You always hear people talk about experience in these moments, this is where the experience take over. Because I said, after the last game, I was like, Yo, howly gonna come out? He gonna come out firing him have two bad games in a row, And to me, it didn't feel like he came out forcing the issue and not

having the bad game. Like because when you when you're the guy and you in this situation, it's so For instance, they pulled out game one surprisingly shockingly, shouldn't have, couldn't have, wouldn't have, whatever you may feel, they pulled out game one, putting them in the driver's seat. And guess what the reality is, they still in the driver's seat. They won one going back home, but if that put them really in the driver's sea, Like, there's no better feeling than

the NBA Finals or the any playoff series. You pull into town and you win game one and you free rolling for game two, there's no better feeling that having a free roll, free swing. You gotta free swing in game two. There's no better feeling But when I say the experience come, then I saw Holly complain for a foul call like try to flop early in the game, and I said to my boys, I said, he should understand they up one oh, you gotta run through everybody chest up one off to get to wear like you

ain't getting a flop call. You ain't like when you up one oh. In that situation, you gotta like, you gotta do all that you can to take game two, and you gotta show everybody that you mean business. Then you have to and even when you show them that you mean business, you still gotta go take game two and no call, no whistles going your way. That's just

human nature. That is just not happening. And so when I saw that early on, I was like, ah, I literally said to my boys, he gotta he better understand what. And so that's where I say they experience takes so because when you the guy in that situation, you gotta come out going for broke because you have to play incredible. You got the guys that's across from you pissed off. These guys even pissed off that they just felt like they gave one away their first ever NBA Finals experience,

they feel like they gave the game away. Not only are they pissed off that they feel like they gave him away, but naturally they're down oh one, Like you gotta come out pissed off. You cannot go down two,

and so you're up against that. And I just didn't think he came out with the oppressiveness that it would have required him to win, Like in order to go take that game too, he gotta come out so aggressive to where his guys on his sidelight, Hey, that's what we own, Like it's almost like and they see it and like all right, like, well, I can't leave him out there, so I gotta do X, Y and Z. And I just didn't think I saw that. Saying it's the first time all playoffs, I'll say I ain't saw that.

We've seen them win game one after game went, after game won, and game two they came out fire like, So it's the first time I'll say that I can recall them like not like coming out swinging, and so I'll give them that, But I think that's just something that you have to understand and experience can't change that, you know, So you got okay, see with five players with fifteen plus first time in the NBA Finals. Since we won't talk about the NBA Finals. Who the fuck

cares about the NBA finals? You want to know when that NBA Finals was, You're gonna look at yourself. We want to talk about that NBA Finals And moving on, you know, I told y'all I get these rundowns like just to help me stay on topic, you know, on there so I know what topics I want to hit. Boom boom boom, And then I rolled and we got Charles over here. But it's the first time since to Fineos versus you know, whatever stole my whole or off

man anyway, just stole my whole, you know what. Moving on, SG ain't had thirty four points, eight assist fort steels in game two. Wow, you know they have five players. I'm so thrown off right now, Like y'all don't understand this is the guy I want. This is like the fourth time he's done it where he like throw a little job like And by the way, y'all should know, this wasn't all my rundown. When I first looked through my rundown and wasn't on there. Then you look back

and their parentzes. It's their first time since twenty nineteen NBA Final about the Raptors, Like, that's a very soft spot for me if anyone can guess why. And I'm not over you never get over these things. But anyway, Shaye past Ai for the most points in the first career two career finals games. Ai has seventy one. Shay has seventy two. The significance of that. Shout out to Ai, Happy birthday to the OG. Happy fiftieth birthday. Ai turned at fifty. It's crazy like Ai is our childhood and

he turned it fifty. Shout out to the Og, Bubba Chuck Man, We love you Ai. Nothing can change that. You are a god forever. We appreciate you much. Love to Ai. Happy birthday, to the go to the legend, nothing but love for Ai. I forgot where I was going with my whole thing because that thing threw me all the way off. But we're going to move on.

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you want to script it, it's Jade. I don't think

any of us have any doubt on that. But I think where it gets interesting for me is when I watch these things, I try to think about these things in terms of like if I was playing against them, Like what are you prioritizing right, Because when you go in these series, it's an NBA team, it's the best NBA teams, and a lot of times in these series you have to pick like I'm willing to let that thing beat me because in the NBA, like it's hard to stop everything, Like you got so much talent, you

got so many IQs and basketball smarts amongst these coaches tasks that that's just how I think about it, like what what would I be willing to look at and say, all right, that's the thing that's going to be me. Well, in turn, that requires you to put into context like who's the most important people? You know, like who's the And when I look at it, when I take a start back and look at this, I always feel like

it's hard, Like who's the most important person? Right, Like in theory you want to say it's check Like in theory it looks like it's supposed to be chatted. But like when I take a step back, I look at this team, ain't chet was out this year a large bulk of this year, and they were just fine. Even hardstyle was out for quite a bit. In that team roll like I think they had like j Dubb at the five or Lou at the five and they still

continue to roll. Then they played Kenrick Williams at some five like they just figured it out and continued the row.

And so it brings you to the point of who's like the third most important player on the team, and also who's the third most important player on the team may not be the third most important player in this series, And that's where it gets triggered when you start talking about third most important players, third option, because like one and two is usually always one to two, that's what it is, and then the regular season and third it's usually third like it's but when you get to the playoffs,

thar can be taken out of a series and five or six can become more important than three. And I feel like when I look at this OKC team, I actually think the third most important player is Alex Caruso. And I find it very interesting because hey, come off the bench. I think that's always interesting in himself, like he's coming off the bench, he's the third most important player.

Sometimes you run into that in the regular season lou Will, for instance, right like you got a coach that's agreeing, like, yo, we want you to get this six man award, like, but then when he get into the playoffs, he usually go out the window. And I think Caruso is so important to what they do, and I feel like you never gain plan for him. It's so because you don't gain plan for him. He coming to these finals and he go crazy, But the reality is he's a champion,

so he actually knows what the expected. If I'm a betting man, and not even a betting man. But if I am, if I'm a coach, if I'm an opposing coach, I'm saying, man, I know this guy, but see, And that's where I think playing makes the difference. It's like because you understand a little more, and I'd be like, Caruso's been in this moment, He's shown us over and over again, he can deliver in this moment. I think I'm gonna make the guy. I'm going to make him

so important to our game plan. I'm going to make less of it importance in our game plan to the guy who hasn't done it, can't do that the shade, Yeah, he hasn't been there, but come on, which Jay duve you try to if you want to. We once tried to legend Lebron shoot threes in the game. We lost by sixty. It's fine. It was just a throw something out there and cast it out there. See where it didn't work. So don't go for number two, But for

number three. I actually think Caruso is more important, especially for this series, and so place that bet on the guy that hasn't done it. And Chet hasn't done it. I know Caruso can beat me. He's shown me he can beat me on several different points back then when he won a championship be showing a drinking beach. And so I'm just not sure that that would be the

bet that I'd be making. And I think that's where it gets interesting, Like I think Indiana Styve gonna have to take a deep dive, but like importance, like who hurts us more?

be focused on these three guys. What we can do to take these three guys out of it, and what can I do to take Alice Caruso completely out the game? And how can I scheme against Alice Caruso to possibly take him completely out the game because he's so important to everything they do, Like defensively, he's so important to everything they do. Offensively, he give you another guy that can handle the ball, that's smart to make decisions, that's going to shoot the right shots, and I take the

wrong shots. So if you can put him in a situation where you can figure out how to make him uncomfortable, how to make him how to make the coach second guest planner, because he's clearly not all the way bought in on him. He's we'd be starting them, like you understand the importance of that. So how can I put him in a position where he have to think me and Mark diagno how you think, and he may go

the wrong way. I think that's what the indre the Pacers has to be figuring out, Like this has to be a matchup game for them, Like they got to get so diabolical down to each matchup, each person on the floor. How can we exploit any weakness that Okay he has because obviously okayse he's the better team, but

they don't have the experience. And because they don't have the experience, you have to exploit those things while they don't have the experience and that's where this series gets really interested for me, is can Rick Carlile and his staff exploit Okay sees you exploiting their youth means a multitude of things, but simply put put in them in situations that they have not seen, that they can be uncomfortable in, and that it's going to take a little

while to figure out because you already stole one game. So all of a sudden you get to a certain point in the NBA Finals where you still wink get another, you put doubt anything you need to creep in for you to win this series is what has to happen. So it'll be interesting to see if they make some of those adjustments to make them more uncomfortable, because ultimately, right now, I think even with OKC losing Game one, they were comfortable, like they felt like they should have won.

They came out, they played hard, they got it done, and that's that. So what can you do to make this group uncomfortable? As I think, what and obviously that's everybody's like thought, right, but like them more so than other, Like, how do you make them uncomfortable to where you can play at their news? Because the only way you can play at their youth is to make them uncomfortable and

then play at it. Right now, if you just lead them comfortable as irrelevant, If you can make them uncomfortable and then pull their youth streets, I think that's how you ultimately gotta beat this scene. And I think that's what Indiana has to do. But going back, you know to Holle, like I said, Holly, gotta be gotta be more aggressive and you gotta come out swinging because the guy's gonna follow you. That's just what it boils down to. So well, see, okay, See's bench was a was great.

You had Carusso twenty off the bench. You had Aaron Wiggins with eighteen threes eighteen points five threes off the bench. And now the show goes on the road and it gets more interesting. You know why because role players play better at home and now on the road, and all the role players stepping up is what one for OKC today. But I can see what Indiana's theory is. We're gonna try to take everyone else out, make it tough on everyone else, and make sure beat us one on one.

Problem in Shaye had thirty four and eight and everybody else got off. So if that's going to be the thing. You guys actually stop everybody else, and they did not do that tonight. So you know, I think if I'm Indiana, I think you gotta throw more zone. Okay, see packed to paint a little more. Sometimes you gotta dare them

to shoot. But I think what just like with any NBA team, like especially at this level, you gotta switch it up, like sometimes you gotta be Darren in the shoot, sometimes you gotta be flying at the close, and like you just got to keep these guys off Damans once again, playing at that youth, I think if you can do that, that's ultimately what wins you the game. I saw something that Mark Diagno said that after the game. He said, Indiana's an acquired taste. We haven't played them a lot.

They play a distinct style on both ends. I just thought the guys did a good job of just improving, which is important going from game one and game two. I see what he's getting at, Like they're a little they're a little unconventional for sure. Uh, winning balls down to it. You gotta go out there and beat me and tonight, okay, so you just did that. So I think this series is interesting. Okay, see, could very much

so go win the next two games. Indiana, as we know, could very much so go on and win these next two games. And I think it's going to be like ultimately, Rick Kyle ale Hast to undoubtedly out coach Mark Dana in order for the Spacers to win this series. I think Rich Carlos is a great coach. I think he's capable of I'll coaching someone, so we'll see if you do it.

but I guess in twenty twenty five. He can't be surprised by any photo oup but yeah, when I saw the first thing I thought was like, is he in San Antonio? Like, I hope he's doing well. Obviously we remember he left with a blood cut, so I've been keeping my fingers crossing, sending up my prayers to the Big Man, just for everybody to be healthy. So I hope that means he's healthy. Moving forward to my gud Spartan Dall Michigan stated alone, he went to grass School

at Michigan State. He's a Penn State undergrad. It's my guy actually trained me for the NBA Drift. So a little quick story for y'all. I signed with Ron Shade coming out of college. Ron Shade is my age of Ron. That's my brother. Still to this day, Ron is with Octagon Sports now, but Ron is my brother, that's my guy.

And I signed with Ron coming out of college. And I went to Chicago where Ron lived for like three or four days, and I was training and it wasn't that the trainer wasn't great, because I actually thought the training was great. Like when I go to Chicago, I still train with him like he's incredible. His name's Basil Besis, incredible trainer. But I trained her for a few days and I told him, like, Yo, I'm gonna go back to Michigan State. And the reason I went back was

more so it wasn't about the trainer or anything. It was about I felt like I had grinded and became

who I became at Michigan State. So literally my first three summers in the NBA, every I went back to Michigan State because I felt like that was the place where I go and when I go there, I lock in like no other I grind, I get to it like and so that's where I felt comfortable, like going through my pre drift ground that so I went back there and who trained me for the drift, literally trained me for my pre drift workout was Jordan I. Jordan

was a video guy video coordinator at Michigan State. UH he had been in GA before then he left and took the video job at Penn State, came back and took it at Michigan State and trained me for the NBA Draft. Jordan I becomes the head coach of the

Phoenix Sons. Shout out to j I. Jay I came into the NBA with the Hawks, worked under Bud super tight with Kenny, went to Brooklyn with Kenny, worked on the staff with Darvar Ham the Lakers when it's Kenny's top assistant, Kenny Atkinson at Cleveland, and yesterday or two days ago was named head coach of the Phoenix Suns. And man to watch somebody like come from a video coordinator at Michigan State GA to like becoming a head

coach in the NBA. So special. Uh. So I'm happy at hell for Jordan, mat Hbo, Brian Gregor, all Spartan's, Paul Rivers Spartan, happy as hell for them. So congratulations Jordan. Shout out to Jordan. I think Phoenia's got a great one. Shout out to George's wife, Jordan. They are the best known no since sixteen years old. And uh to see him become a head coach in this league and just grind his way up, it's absolutely incredible. And I know Phoenix got a great one. When you're talking x's and

oh is one of the best of the business. Not a guy who's fraidy to hear his own voice. Absolutely incredible to see. So I'm happy as hell for Jordan. I and like I said, shout out to him, Shout out the Mats, Shout out to the Phoenix Suns. There locking in a great coach that I think he'll be there for the next twenty years if we want to be Speaking of trainers, uh, Bron discuss is how the next generation are relying more on basketball trainers instead of

just playing the game. I heard what Bron said. I know he said, like yo, I just wouldn't to hoop, and I agree with that, Like growing up, I actually didn't know. I didn't learn how to do a proper individual workouts. I got to college. It's growing up like I'm going to hoop, Like where is the nearest run dropped me off? I'll play all day Like that's what we did. We hooped all day. So I think there's a huge benefit to that because you just learned to see the game, like you learn to see the game.

I talked to on Kimra the other night about my son and just like watching him play and like how he knew how to play it. He like some of the stuff I know he pick up on naturally just because he's always around basketball. He watched it and so you imagine growing up like you did, like we did. You playing basketball all day, the nuances and things you figure out about the game. It's different when somebody just putting you in a position to tell you to do this move,

Like how do you use your creativity? How do you learn like, oh man, I can do this if somebody just say do this? How do you know what you're about? How do you know what your game is if you never tap into it and just figure it out? And so I understand, like I think you know there's a time and place for a trainer, and I think you know with where the game is gone, like you need those resourcing or to be successful. I feel like basketball used to be a poor man's game, like we all

played it. Poor kids played it. We were poor, we had nothing, and it was our way out. Basketball is not a poor kids game no more. Basketball is a rich kid game. Like the days of seeing Lebron James from acting Ohio from a single mom, those days are are our number, like they're not because if you don't have the resources these days, like you can't make it, Like it's become a rich kids game and basketball didn't

used to be that. And so I think all of that goes into like what the trainers and stuff like. But that's I also feel like that's why I you don't see as great as basketball as you did before, because there's no imaginations. Everybody's doing the same thing, playing the same way. And I think a lot of that is due sometimes too having trainers. Not that having a trainer is a bad thing, but again, if you never get to use your imagination, then you just become a

carbon copy of somebody else the trainer created. And so I agree with Broun to a certain extent. I think, you know, you do got to get out there and play, and you got to get out there and just figure it out. Because when you get out there on that court, ain't nobody to put you in a position. You got to put yourself in a position. Ain't nobody there to place shoot. You got to get there. So I think there needs to be a healthy balance, and I don't think that balance is near being found. I did not

watch the Land Stevenson Michael Beasley one on one. This is a fan questions by the way, I did not watch it. I didn't know what time it came on number one, but I did see like the back and forth before and after and saw some of the highlights that look very entertaining. One thing is for certain. We all know Michael Beasy is one of the best guys to ever rippled basketball and like shoot the ball and put the ball in the hoop. Michael Beasley is one of the best has ever done. I don't think you

won't get many basketball players to distribute with that. And so I heard it was super entertained. I think it was dope. I saw some people say it should be at All Star Game. I think Kingdom the Hill would be fun, but it becomes a dunk contest. A lot of people don't want to get embarrassed, So how many people really do it? I don't know. We'll see before we get out of here. Who wins Game three? You

got Indiana going home. I'm taking Indiana Game three. I'm gonna take an Indiana Game three, Kyle, crowd gonna be lectured. They haven't played well, so they gotta have a good game coming at some point. They ain't just gonna keep playing bad, and I'm gonna think I think they saved it for Game three, first one at home, So I'm gonna take Indiana Game three. We shall see how it turns out. But however it turned out, me and b

D will be right here live after Game three. Check us out to them in Don't miss Out until Next time. That's a wrapper. This episode of The Draymond Green Show with BD but he not here today jews the volume