The Harden-Simmons Trade + a Fred VanVleet Interview

fan duel sports book makes it easy. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to The Draymond Green Show. This is our episode, and it's a week before the All Star Game, all Star Break for us, but obviously All Star Game for all the fans that take part in that weekend. It's always a great weekend, a lot of fun, very exciting. But um, like I said, it's a week before the All Star Game, and in honor of that, we are

having another All Star, another first time All Star. Obviously last week we had Darius Garland who's also a first time All Star from the Eastern Conference as well, and we will talk about all types of stuff. This will be a dead giveaway. But we're gonna talk about um the Raptors and the Warriors in the two thousand nineteen finals, and how I know that if Clay didn't get hurt even with Kevin getting hurt, because if Kevin didn't get hurt, the reality is as we all know, the reality, Yeah,

Clay didn't get hurt. Even after Kevin got hurt, we still would have one. And it's not that we didn't need Kevin, because we definitely needed Kevin, as you can see in that game five Kevin. I think we may have have forty points with six minutes to go in the first quarter when Kevin came out and played in that game. And so, like we all know, but Clay was having one of them games six is like he told me he was going to have, and he got hurt and we couldn't quite close it out. But it's

all good. But we're gonna discuss that, and I can't wait for you guys to hear Fred's taking what he feels about it, but also how things changed about him as well. So I think that will be an exciting interview, very fun interview, and just a different perspective from a guy who's now an All Star and really got it out them undrafted. So looking forward to having Fred and Fleet on the show later today. But first, as you know, we got to go around the Association and the NFL

and talk all things exciting from those leagues. So of course we have not spoke or I haven't gotten a chance to share my thoughts with you guys since the Harden, the James Harden and Ben Simmons trade happened. Obviously, that was one we were all wondering, like, man, it's just really gonna happen for the deadline, and you kind of heard it would, then you heard it wouldn't, then you heard it would, and then it's like, oh yeah, they broke off talks and then boom, uh there it is,

um James Harden, it's trade. James Harden and Paul Millsap gets traded to the Philadelphia seventies sixers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first round picks. I was shocked by how much uh the seventies Sixers gave up, and not that James Harden isn't great, because just what what what felt like to me was James Harden no longer wanted to be in Brooklyn and James Harden wanted

to be in Philly. All things pointed towards that, UM, and that's what the ports work, and that's what it felt like to me. It also felt to me as if obviously with all being issues UM, he's dealt with UM as far as his this day with the team and how he was treated UM by Joel, by Doc Rivers in the press conference, everybody's spoke about that, and it's been a very public thing after the playoffs last year, UM, how he felt he was treated by the fans, but

more importantly his mental health. UM. And you know that goes beyond basketball when when you're talking mental health and and so most importantly his mental health, you knew he needed something fresh, he needed something new, and you knew that's that was kind of what everybody had been expecting all year. When with Ben Simmons get traded, it's not if it's just a matter of time, when when will

the Philadelphia seventy six is finally except a package? And the reality is is I think they ultimately got exactly what they wanted. Darryl Morey and James Harden are clothes Darryl Morey brought James Harden to Houston. Darryl Morey believed in James Harden as a cornerstone of a franchise before just about anybody else. Did you know they have that report. They have done some great things together. They could never get past us, but they were right there every year.

And so to see them, uh get back together along with Joel, along with Doc Rivers, I think that's what they wanted, and it's you know, you had even heard about it, uh when Houston, when James hard was still in Houston, that he would possibly get traded for Ben Simmons then, and that was before we had heard about the things that we're going on with Ben. This was

a whole year prior. And so to see him finally get to where he wanted to be, or where it seemed as if he wants to be before and then the whole next thing kind of came up and out of nowhere. Um to see Ben get back to a situation where he could play, I mean, I'm always happy to see guys get what they want ultimately, if that's what you want, go after it. Always happy to see it. But I must say I was shocked that Philly, we're willing to give up Seth Curry and two first round picks.

I was. I was really shocked by that because like this, this first round pick maybe nothing, um, you know, I mean nothing. There's great players drafted thirty like I was thirty five. So I mean the picks can still mean something depending on who's drafting and how they evaluate talent. But it won't be a top five pick, it won't be a top ten pick, it won't be a top fift team pick. And so this year, okay, but in two, two thousand twenty seven, I mean that's five years from now.

At that point, James Harden is thirty seven, Joel Embiid is thirty three, thirty four, Like you don't, you don't. It's a lot more uncertainty with that pick than it is with the two thousand twenty two pick. And so I was a little shocked to see how much they gave up. And like I said, even bigger than the picks for me was Seth Curry. Like I just didn't think Philly would be trading Seth Curry, especially the way James Harden plays. Uh, you've you've seen shooters around him

that can catch a knock the shot down. And with Joel Embad, I mean, you always want to pay a big man with the shooter just in case they're trying to double team in you you can't help off Sef Curry,

so that takes one guy out of the picture. And so uh with them putting that team together, I was really shocked that they gave up Seth Curry, but ultimately maybe you know, and then it comes down to asociating that maybe the Brooklyn Nets new they don't want to give up Seth Curry, but they really want James Harden. So ultimately I can I can hold them hostage by

just saying you have to give me Sef Curry. And if that gets the deal done, and James Harden is really your guy, what you know, he's really Phillies guy, then maybe that's how that happened, and that's how you know.

I think Brooklyn won that battle. And so I'm excited to see Ben play with with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, I think, and and Seth Curry and Patty Mills, like you give a player with Ben's playmaking ability, with his speed, the way he can pass the ball, um his court vision, you give a player all of those weapons with his skill set, I'm excited to see how this turns out

for him. And then you know, we we live. We're playing a copycat league when when someone has success, everyone tries to follow it, which is why the NBA is the way it is today because the Warriors have success playing a certain way and everyone follows it. That's just the way this league works. And Philly is now back to your traditional great big man, great guard, and that's what the league used to be. You think Shaq Kobe, you think Penny and Shot and like you think David

Robinson and Tim Duncan was a little different story. They were two twin tours. But you know, you can go around the NBA for years, Magic and Kareem like it goes back great guard, great big man. That's kind of where you start. That's where you started building your team and then you built out from there. And it's interesting to see um the way James Harden has has typically played over the last five or six years, especially with with Darryl Moorey at the helm making all the decisions,

He's played a certain style of basketball. Joel has gotten a customed plan to a certain style of basketball. Both great players, so I don't not think they can mash like. I definitely think they can match. But it'll be interesting to see them go back to a great guard and a great big man and see what type of success that that they have because the league, you know, everything comes back around. You got small ball, you got two

big men, Like everything comes back around. You always hear fashion like fashion never goes out of style and always come back around. And so I'm interested to see um now with them back to a more traditional look, how that works. If it ultimately works, does everyone start copying that again, because again we do play in the copycat league. So that was kind of my take on on the

Hardening Semmes trade. Uh. In my opinion of Brooklyn has definitely won the trade, and not because James Harden isn't great, because the Brooklyn Ness also got an All Star and on top of that, they added probably the top three point shooter in the NBA as far as percentage goes. I'm not sure if he's leading the league in percentage this year. If he's not, he's probably right up there

at the top. But as you can look back the last four years, he has been one or two, and so that's what I thought really gave them the edge in that trade. And so we'll see how it plays out, but one thing for certain, it's both of those teams got way stronger through that trade and made the Eastern Conference a lot tougher. And so it's gonna be interesting to see the Eastern Conference come playoff time with the Miami Heat, with the Milwaukee I'm sorry, Milwaukee Bucks should

always be mentioned first. They're the defending champion, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat, the Brooklyn Nets, the Philadelphia seventies sixers. Um, you got the Toronto Raptors with championship DNA between FEV and Fleet and in Pascal Siak and o Giana Nobi and so they have that championship DNA, so you can't just count them out, and you know they're not gonna fear. They're gonna come in, they're gonna play hard and and

they're always a tough matchup. And so it's gonna be interesting to see what happens in the Eastern Conference because I think that trade it really strengthened those two teams, which are ultimately strengthened the conference. And not to forget the up and coming Cleveland Cavaliers, who are last week's guest. D G said, y'all better watch out because they're not looking at the future. They're looking at now, you know. And so the Eastern Conference, man, there's gonna be some

great playoff series over there. Uh. And speaking of the Eastern Conference, we also saw Portzing gets traded to the Washington Wizards for Darvis Burtas and Spencer Den with it um. That was a very interesting trade for me. And the reason that was an interesting trade because number one, they brought Spencer Den within this summer as their starting point guard.

And for someone that is coming off of an a c L injury just now getting back to playing, and for the mission to be aborted in like the first three or four months of the partnership, that was shocking for me because early on in the season they were playing well, you know, then you had COVID stuff, and you know we all faced COVID, but you had COVID stuff, You have people missing time due to injury, and then the mission was kind of a border, so you never

truly know what it could have become. Maybe they saw something that the rest of us didn't see, but in that trade Porzingis going to Washington. I'm also interested to see how that works out because I think Kyle Kuzman is playing some of the best basketball of his career and all around basketball. He's rebounding grade, he's passing the

ball grade, he's scoring the ball great. And so the group that the Scars, sorry the growth that Kyle Kuzma has had UM in his career and especially the next step that he's taken and playing for Washington this year, he's been playing the fourth spot, and and so you know, you bring Porzingis and Porsinis has played in four, he has played some five. But then you also have some good young bids. I think Thomas Brian just went down with the injury. Again, not sure how significant the injury

is UM. But then you also have uh Daniel Gafford who they signed to a contract, and so I'm also I'm just interested to see how that plays out, UM. And you have Danny Aviga also there at the three spotting, so like, where does Kuzman fit in? And that because Kuzman is having an incredible year, does port Zingers played

the five? Like I have all of these questions, and I'm excited, you know, even the first couple of games that's played like it's impossible to figure out then like those things will play out over the course of time. It won't happen in a week. And so I'm just excited to see what what will come of that trade. Port zingis teenure in Dallas wasn't the best. UM this kind of felt like he was gonna be on the mood the last couple of years. And to finally see him um traded, I hope to see him get back

to the player that he once was. It felt like that that Portzingis was coming back to start this year, and then COVID happened for him and some entry stuff, and so interested to see if he'll get back to the level that we saw him at after New York Knicks, you know, when he earned the name of the Unicorn,

because he was playing some incredible basketball. And you always want to see guys at their best and and and and being able to get back to that, to to what was the mountain top for them, you know, and and their peak their peak form, and so it'll be interesting to see and and and Dallas obviously added another guard um short Spencer. Then Widio come off the bench for Dallas, but they added another quality guard off the bench,

and then they added another shooting big and Burtens. And with the way Luca Dante's plays, Luka Dante's has the ball a lot He's created for everyone. You can't help off David birth Davis, Davis, Burtens his he has one of the purest jump shots in the league. And so I thought that was a great add by Nico Harrison, new GM of the Dallas Mavericks. I thought that was an incredible trade, um trade of a guy who still has some value and didn't quite work out for them.

Um he didn't. I think one thing that you see in great gms around the league, and obviously this is Eco's first teare but one thing you see in great g ms is they know when to move on, Like you don't hold on to the problem and compound the problem. Not that I'm saying Porzingis was a problem, but he was a problem in Dallas. Not that he was a problem child like it just wasn't working, Like it wasn't

working for him, it wasn't working for them. But yet they still have a thing that can works, and he still has a game that can work, and so to see the two officially part ways. I thought that was a great job by Nico, And like I said, you just see some people hold onto things way longer and then they lose value. And so they got some pieces that they can add into an already good basketball club.

I thought that was a great move by them, and we'll see what comes of it, uh for both of those teams, but I thought it was a pretty good move by both of them. And then finally before we get to the to the Fred van Fleet interview, as we spoke a little bit about briefly the St. Louis Psyche, the L. A. Rams won the Super Bowl. It was incredible. So first off, I want to talk about the champs,

the Super Bowl Champs to L. A. Rams. There's been a lot of talk that Aaron Donald should have won the m v P. Cooper Cup had one of the best seasons statistically that a wire receiver has ever had and so and he had a great game. Can't take anything from him, but I personally thought, and especially as a defensive guy, I personally thought Aaron Donald should have won m v P. Uh. He controlled the line of scrimmage, which if you know anything about football, controlling the trenches.

It's just as important as a quarterback playing well. We've seen guys control games, and only a select few of guys control games from the defensive end spot. We've seen von Miller do it and go to it and win the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos, and obviously they had to go one of the goals paid many as quarterback,

but that was also and pays later years. Von Miller really could control the game from the defensive end spot, and he's starting to get back to that forum as you can see uh in the Super Bowl and in his time with the Rams this season. Reggie White obviously could control the game from the defensive in spot. Lawrence Taylor could obviously control the game for from the defensive in spot. Aaron Donald is a defensive tackle and he can control the game from the defensive tackle spot, as

he did in that Super Bowl. I mean he had three sacks, and I mean, like, let's let's put that into some basketball numbers for those that don't understand football. Him having three sacks in the Super Bowl is like him having two sacks in the Super Bowl. It's like having points. Him getting that third sack to close the game out. It's like having thirty four points and the game winner. If a guy have thirty four points in

the in the game seven of the NBA Finals. Now, granted it's a little excue because there's more games in the NBA Finals, but let's say that guy has had a pretty good NBA Finals and then he finished the game with thirty four points and a game winner in game seven, that guy is gonna walk away with Finals

m v P. That's what Aaron Donald just did. He finished the game with thirty four points and he hit the game winner, and he did not walk away with the m v P. Because it's so hard for defensive guys in any sport to get the recognition that they deserve. And so I um, like I said, I can't take anything from from Cooper Cup away because he had an incredible year and incredible game so well deserved. But I definitely think Aaron Donald should have and could have gotten

m VP. And the reality is you're not gonna see that often, Like the next time we'll see a defensive guy other than Aaron Donald control the game like that and actually be deserving them m v P. Like, who knows when we'll see that again? Like you gotta reward guys when it's there, and so I don't know. I I thought that there would be a high chance that he wouldn't get it, because that's how people operate. But and it actually happened. So I will see another year

goes by another defensive guy. Defensive guy can't can't get the m v P out of Super Bowl, but they got the most important thing was which was a ring. And I want to send a bunch of love to O b j Um. I spoke about this before, like some guys need bright lights. Like a lot of people, you put them under the bright lights, they fold. There's a very select few of guys that you put them under the bright lights and they get better. And oh

b j is one of those guys. You put him in the brightest of lights and he shone like the brightest of stars. I mean he had to uh two receptions for fifty two yards in a touchdown, was about to have another fifteen or twenty yards on the reception that he dropped way towards. They see up that right there. I think it was still the first quarter, would have been three catches seventy five yards in a touchdown. He was also very well on his way to m v P, but just in a bunch of love, a speedy recovery.

Uh to O b J. You never want to see a guy get injured. And for a guy who's went through what he's going through and seems as if he's found his purpose, he's found himself, he's found a woman for him, he's about to welcome a child into this his first child into this world with with his woman, like so many things going for him. And to see him even flourishing at him in that moment and for the abruptly end like that, it sucked. Um, it definitely sucked.

And so but he's a he's a he's a super Bowl champion, and I'm looking forward to to him getting back out there next year and reproving all over again who he is, why he is who he is, because he's just a special talent like that, and like I said, when the lights get the brightest, he shine like the brightest stars. And some guys just need that. And I respect guys that when that level raised up, their play go to another level because it's a very rare thing

in sports. But in saying that, um, I, like I said before, we have another All Star, another first time All Star, as we did last week. UM, I am excited to welcome him to the show, and I am excited to hear his take on the two thousand nineteen finals and if he really thinks they would have beat us if we didn't get hurt that way. Man excited to have this next guy on from from from Rockford, Illinois. I know most of y'all won't know that, and what you will know him as is guy who absolutely destroyed

us in the NBA finals. UM who. I still don't appreciate that I and say that I do cost cost me a ring, but I definitely appreciate his road to becoming who he's become. Undrafted out of Wichita State. UM. I wasn't undrafted, but I definitely understand the mindset that

comes with being looked over. You're talking to guy who lad his team to the Final four as a freshman, UM, which, if I'm not mistaken, I think they became the fifth team with the seed hired in the a C to actually play in the Final four, and then the following year came back. UH sophomore year led his team to the first thirty one, an old record. UH in n

c A history. UH. He finished college as a three time AP Honorable Mentioned All American UH, two time m VC Player of the Year, and three time first team All NBC player. Fred Van Fleet of the Toronto Raptors, what's up, my brother, man? Thanks for having me. You do you do a good intro, bro. I might take you in a row with me. I appreciate it. Man. No, And obviously we just spoke about you being undrafted and you came out, you played summer league with the Raptors.

What was your mindset and coming out? Cause I know from me, like I won National Player of the Year and then I got drafted, and I know what that how that few of me? What was your mindset coming out and into that first summer league with the Raptors. Yeah, it was real similar. You know, it's been a student

of the game. And it's funny that you say that because I actually remember you speaking on like having a list of the guys that went before you, you know, and and and remember and you probably still remember those names, you know what I'm saying. So like it was the same for me. I just I put the guys that that went before me at my position, and I kind of looked and said, you know who I gotta be better than? Who do I have to outperform? And I

just went into it with that mindset. But from day one after I didn't get drafted, it was just like, let's make the team, Let's get the camp, let's make the team. And I know that once I'm on the team, I know what I'm gonna doing practice every day. I know that I'm gonna continue to get better and I'm gonna have a chance to grow. So I was just focused on, like what would it take to actually make the roster. And your rookie year you played thirty one games.

But your second year, uh that's when you kind of started to break out. You shot over fort from three and you were nominated for six Man of the Year. How was that growth for you going from your first year to your second year and actually starting to come into your own. Yeah, well, making the team a rookie, we had three point guard. It was Kyle, Corey, Joseph and then the line right, So I was I was kind of stuck in that where, you know, I think I was good enough to play my rookie year. I

just I needed to get better. I needed some experience, I needed to become a better shooter, and those are the things that I did. Um. And then my second year, we had a chance where we had a good bench and that bench unit got some you know, sustainable minutes throughout the course of the year. I started picking up guys full court, made some shots, and um, casey actually

like having two point guards out there. So I started finishing some games, you know, my second year where I was playing in the fourth quarter, get the opportunity to make some shots, I get a chance to guard some of the better guys. So as as my opportunity just you know, kept growing, I just try to you know, keep getting better along the way, and it allowed me to take advantage of some of those moments. Absolutely, and I want to continue to talk about your pro career,

but I have to ask you. And I know we just spoke on this a little bit, but as someone UM that was overlooked, Like do you coming out of college you're one of the most decorated college players ever, Like you had one of the better careers ever. Do you feel like you get enough credit for that? Oh? No,

because it always gets twisted as the undrafted. So it's kind of like once you say undrafted, people forget that, you know, kind of what I went through and what I put on the table at my four years of school, and um, there's you know, the narratives in the perspective of how we look at pro players has changed so much. But um, you know, once upon a time, going to school for four years and going to the tournament every year, going to final fours and winning trophies and cut down

nest that meant something. And it definitely meant something to me. I think I'm better for the way that you know, I had to go through. I was so mature and just ready to be a pro once I, you know, became an NBA player. But I definitely don't get that look or that now because when I was in a smaller conference and two, once you put the stamp of undrafted, it's just like, Okay, he must not have been very

good before he got to this book. Absolutely, and in reality, some of these talent talent evalue whether it's just not just talk about side. Yeah, they don't know, they don't know everything, absolutely, and you know you don't know what you don't know. But you also, you just spoke about having four point guards on the roster when you when you made the team with the Raptors, And I want to talk about one of them, and specifically a guy who I've had the opportunity to play with and win

a goal medal with, Kyle Larry. What benefit they're playing next to a guy like Carl Lowry have on you? Well, we're so similar in so many different ways that without even knowing each other, you know what I mean. Just obviously I studied this guy, but as a as a kid, like you know, I'm I'm tending you know, Kyle got a few years on mean, y'all, y'all a little bit.

So I was watching him in college. I was watching him studying the game, studying guys around my size and stature, and and so for me to get next to him, I kind of already knew like how he played, and he learned how I played. And I'm watching them every day. We're working out together. He's let me shoot with him in the morning and join his workouts and just staying next to him, talking to him in time out. So I'm sitting next to him in the locker room like

I'm just a spunge. I'm trying to learn as much as I can from and then once I was able to get out there on the court with him, I think we just made our lives easier for each other, and we kind of could read each other without even thinking, especially after we had some time in so defensively offensively, like I knew what he was to do, he knew what I was gonna do, And it was just a huge bonus and and just benefit to be able to

play with that guy. Absolutely, And I want I want to talk about this uh just daunted two thousand nineteen playoff run that she was a part of before we before we get into the NBA finals. Um, your first two series of that playoffs run, you couldn't throw the

ball in the ocean. You then have a son, and you have your son, and I don't think you've missed a shot since, And it seemed like everything flipped for you, Like if you just and I knew about the time and of it then, but for anybody who don't know, like if you go back and you can follow it along in the articles, if you go back to that run and then you go and look at the date of Fred just had a son, and you see what happened from there, like dude, you feel like that change.

So for you, was it coincidental? Was it just the energy that little friend brought? What was it? Yeah, I mean it's definitely all of the above. Like I'm not I'm not that proud to say that. You know, it definitely is all of the above, because I have an explanation for why it wasn't going that way, you know, as we could always explain why we're struggling, and you know, coach and calling the right place and the rotation short and you know, again it's matchups. That Philly series was

not a good series for me to be in. That was a big, nasty, physical team. You know, he wasn't running a lot of ball screens. But I had some pressure them. You know what I'm saying, My girls pregnant, I'm out here trying to play in the playoffs and I can't be with my family, and they was home. I was in Toronto. So it was a lot of stuff going on. But once, you know, everything clicked at the right time, and him being born was like the catalyst. It was like the start of my son being born.

I went home. I got to hold them, I got to see my my my daughter. I got to be around my family for a second fresh mind new series, uh new. We started playing different, like like we got better throughout the playoffs, and you know, we once we clicked, it was like we you know, we were pretty much playing like excellent basketball for the rest of those what three or four weeks that was left. So it was

a perfect storm for sure. Absolutely, And speaking of Philly and that team, I've I've watched that shot over a million times, uh in part due to I feel like if that shot didn't win, didn't go in the championship,

and it is what it is. So I've gone back and watched that shot and you were actually on the bench when when that shot happened, Which is crazy because if you think about if you think about that that finals run and the run that y'all had to go on and win the championship, one wouldn't be able to see you not being in the game at the end of the game at any point in that run. But it kind of just goes to show what you're saying

about your rotations. But you're right in the corner of Kauai shot with you and what were you thinking on that play? Because I had I didn't think it was a chance that was going in. No, it looked off left. It looked off left because I'm looking at it and you can see it go and look off like it was gonna go off to the left towards the middle of the lane. And once we saw a bounce bounce twice, it was like, oh, this ship going in. It's going in, you know what I mean. It was just like, Bro,

that was the craziest amount of motion. Because for me personally, I'm like, yes, I get another series, like I get another chance to play better. I didn't want my season to end, you know what I mean with that performance on the table. So I think we was all just relieved just to get out of that series and and move on to the next room, because that was a really tough series. I mean, we blew them out, they blew us out. We had to go there and play like that was a that was a that was a

hard fu series. Absolutely, And and talk to me a little more about um, like the pressure that you're feelings Like you just said, I don't want this to end on serious And I know what most people don't understand is this ain't this is not fred Fred van Fleet, the hundred million dollar player. That's whee trying to make it, worrying about what that next contract is gonna be. Like, talk to me a little more about that pressure that you was feeling and playing and having those first two

series that you had and then getting another opportunity. Yeah, well, just back then, I knew what I could do, you know what I mean. We always know what we can do as players and our confidence and you know, you're thinking about who you can be, but you still have to show that. And at that point in time, I hadn't really shown that I could be a starting point guard. I hadn't shown all of these different moments. So I was just frustrated that this is the performance that I

was putting out. You know, nobody's harder on myself than I am. Toronto is one of them cities where if you're playing bad, you're gonna know about it, you know what I mean. M We we definitely have those type of fans where they will they will cherish you and worship you forever, but they're gonna let you know you're not playing well. And so I was at up in that for the first time in my professional career, like reading comments and I had to go through all of

that type of stuff. Um, so all of that was just a learning experience from me. But I was lucky enough to come out on the other side of it. Absolutely. No, that's that's incredible. And and speaking of um those playoffs NBA Finals, because you'll, y'all going to win the next series NBA Finals roll around. We're coming into that series without Kevin Durant and we then go on to play the first four games without him. You guys take a three one lead, then Kevin comes back for game five.

When Kevin comes back for Game five, what's going through your head? I just remember being in the locker room. I remember being in the locker room before game five, and it was like a little buzz, you know what I mean, Like was he coming back? It was it was whispers that he was gonna play, you know what I'm saying. I felt like he was gonna play, Like if he was close enough to play, we knew he

was gonna try it out. And I just remember like the uh, the conversation being like, all right, like he coming back, We're gonna we're gonna go at him, like you know what I mean, We're gonna see what he got And he came out and hit them first four shots, and I remember, like I was just remember being like damn, like, oh my god, this dude special. And I had a move on him one time, and I've seen him. He was a little gimpy. And then the next time I think Serge went by him is when he went down.

And then man, it was just it's just sad as a basketball fan. But we was like, all right, bro, we can't. We can't get no better gift than this. We gotta, we gotta. We don't win this. We're gonna we're gonna have to live with this for the rest of our life. And I think that kind of gave us a little extra motivation to get it done. Absolutely, And that happens in game five. Game six, Clay is

catching fire. And it's funny because Clay came to me right before that game and he's like, I'm going to have one of them games six is just make sure you give me the ball train one of them games six is. I feel it six plays right like he he's totally bought into of this Game six, Clay things like that, everybody, He's totally bought into it. Like Game six, Clay, I'm telling you, like, just give me the ball and

then he's catching fire. Uh. I don't know a lot of people say Clay don't get hurt right there, y'all don't go on to win that that NBA Championship. I don't know how true that is. How do you feel about that? I mean, I know what I think, but I do want to hear I don't. I don't. I don't agree with that. But at the same time, I could see that argument, you know what I'm saying. I could see that argument. He like him and those games six is he got a super catalog of like those

crazy games where it's hard to beat him. I felt like we were a much better team than y'all without Kevin Um because you know, we had the depth and there was just certain matchups that we could pick on, and like some of the guys that y'all was playing in those moments wasn't like what we was used to seeing from the Warriors dynasty. Like y'all was bringing some of those guys up to speed, whether it was like Alfonso McKinney, Quinn Cook Boogie like those was new guy

to what I was doing. So we had we had specific things that we was hunting for in some of those situations. But yeah, who knows, nobody will have nobody will ever know. Okay, y'all can argue that, you know, you know, Gemen came over to our staff. I always talked talked junk to him about it, like, man, if we didn't get hurt. But the reality is this, if we win that game six, which I what I do believe is if Clay doesn't get hurt, we do win that game six. I don't think there's no questions asked.

We win the game six, but you go to game seven and it's just a coin flip, Like you just kind of know that from the history of Game seven as you get the game seven's a coin flips. So the reality is I don't necessarily think, oh, man, we won game six, we were for sure winning the championship because Game seven, I don't care what happened the rest of the series. Game seven you flipped a coin and

whatever Game seven, anything could happened. I just felt like at the time we was winning most of the quarters Game five, I felt like we should have won, and we was up start going crazy, and then y'all made it come back late. So you know, we're gonna feel this way. You're gonna feel that way, is what it is, no doubt, no. And I you spoke about my intro to the show. I I purposely I wanted to talk about your college resume because I do think it get overlooked.

I think I always talk about the basketball minds and how a lot of them don't really know what the hell they're talking about, and you're another example of that. I'm example of that. So I purposely did that and purposely did not mention first time All Star number one. I want to say congratulations on that, Um, well, well, well fucking deserved. And number two and yours, and I know you gotta go, so I'm gonna get you out

of here on this one. But with the season that you've had, you've put together and becoming an All Star and carrying your team the way you've carried your team, there has been a lot of speculation coming up now whether Pascal will be traded at the deadline, and obviously we're we're recording this before the trade deadline happens. But how are you maintaining your focus with like Pascal is

important to what y'all do. How are you maintaining your focus to continue doing what you're doing, regardless of that talk that's going on around Pascal and what could happen at the deadline or not. Yeah, I mean what we all been through, right, So I think for me as I'm coming in, I'm in my sixth season now, I think the best feeling to have is to be playing

good around the trade deadline and be playing well. Everybody's feeling well, feeling good, feeling excited about things, and then the pressure to make some of those drastic moves is not there. I think you gotta look at the market and see what's out there. I don't know if any of those moves make sense for us right now in terms of something major. Um, I think we like our core, we like our situation where we have, and we're playing good basketball. So I think you just got to try

to control what you can control. UM Me personally, listen, bro, you know, I'm from a place just like where you're from, and you've got some of the similar backgrounds. All of this is a blessing, and you know, once you get into all of that extra stuff, you know, you kind of you set yourself up for for disaster. So I just focused on leading this team, trying to win as much as we can, and whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen, no doubt, no man. Uh. Like I said, I know

you gotta get out of here. I appreciate you coming on the show. I must say, um, this guy was second in m VP voting when they beat us, so anywhere anywhere, Pasca why and then beating us, you have to look no further than Fred VanVleet. I don't appreciate that, dectually respect it. I love it. I man, I'm I'm

a big fan of yours, Bro, and your journey. I love the whole bet on yourself mentality and how you own that, like you didn't just sit behind the scenes and say I'm betting on myself from the from the very beginning and something betting on myself and you've embodied that nothing but love and respect, Bro, and I appreciate you coming on like wise, Bro, thank you, Yes, sir so for all of you that say you love the game of basketball, you love the basketball conversations that we

have on the show. Obviously we're only here once a week, which we could do more, but the NBA is a little too bit taxing and it requires just a little amount of time that you know, I kind of gotta stick to that in four games in a week. But if you are looking for more basketball conversations, then you must check out the Jenkins and Jones podcast, also on the Volume Podcast Networks. Ironically enough, it's like a hilarious mix of basketball and comedy and like some of the

most random Internet topics, uh you can imagine. So definitely check that out. From all your favorite NBA Twitter personalities, Legittro Jenkins, dragon Fly Jones. To make sure y'all download the Jenkins and Jones podcast whenever wherever you get your podcast only on the Volume Podcast Network. Man, that was

an incredible interview. Uh. As you see, Fred had had a different take on the two thousand nineteen finals than I had, but that was to be expected and to be quite frankly, as much as I feel like, um, we would have one if if our guys didn't get hurt, the reality is that's that's just how it works. Health it's just as important, if not more important, than anything else when trying to win an NBA championship. And sometimes you have the good luck, sometimes you don't, and you know,

in that situation, we didn't, but it happens. Uh. They were a great team. They have been through a lot to get to that point, and the cars felt how they should have. Um, they won and and that was that, and you know, I gotta get them a lot of credit, you know, but I'm still a little upset about that. I can't even lie now. But you know, obviously you can see the interview was a little shorter than normal.

Fred didn't have a ton of time, but we had an opportunity to catch up with him for twenty minutes. I wouldn't pass up on an opportunity. Number One, you don't know when it comes back around. And I always think that it's important for the fans of this show to hear from the people that they want to hear from the people that are doing great things. Champions FOREV and Police a champion, he's an all star, and so it would have been remissed to pass up on the opportunity,

even having for twenty minutes. And I thought it was an incredible twenty minutes. I truly enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoyed it. And because the interview wasn't that long, U this week we will add a few male bad questions to the show. So my producer Jackson, will ask me a few questions. I'll give you guys a few answers of what I think, and then that will be a rap for episode thirteen. All right, let's start it off in honor of All Star Weekends. Yeah, the Dunk

Contest and the three point Contest. You have a teammate in the Dunk contest, so let's get your adictions on it. Who is going to win the Dunk Contest between Want, Jalen Green, Cole Anthony, and Obie Topping. All right, so check this out. The sexiest pick um. The guy who everyone's going to expect to win is obviously Jalen Green. Kid has crazy bounce. You see him flying all over the place in the game. Probably should be the expected win.

The reality is is that guy never wins. The guy who everyone expects to win because he has to do stuff so crazy to beat the expectation that everyone is already set for him. The only guy we've really seen being successful at that exact Lavine Who's who We've also had uh as a guest on The Draymond Green Show. But that guy never really wins. So as much as I think Jalen Green is capable of winning and probably should win, I don't think he's gonna win for that reason.

Obie Topping is tall. Uh, you know, you just don't really see tall guys when the dunk contest, Now, we saw Dwight Howard as much as Dwight Howard could fly, it was also the Superman Kate and it was also like, you know, a little different situation for Dwight to win. But guys that tall don't really win because they're so

tall that you're dunk. Like, if Obie Topping goes and goes and go out there and do the same dunk that Cole Anthony does, Cole Anthony's is going to look better because he's smaller, and so it just looks better. And so for Obie Topping, he's fighting against his dunks may not look as crazy bounced as he has because he's probably just as bouncy, if not more bouncy than

anybody in the dunk contest. As crazy as his bounce is, his dunks aren't gonna look as cool as there's just because he's taller, and so he's fighting against that um And so for that reason, I don't Obie Topping wins, although, like I said, his bounces insane. So now moving Cole Anthony, who we all know is bouncy. Um, you've even seen more of that, like through social media over the years, and then you haven't necessarily in games, but you know how creative he isn't Duncan. And so the reality is

I think he's the dark horse. Um, well, he's not the dark horse, but I have Cole Anthony in the final versus Wan Tuscono Anderson, and one is the dark horse from nine Avenue in Oakland, Golden State Warrior. I think this is his second year in the NBA, um second or third year in the NBA having an opportunity to go out there on the biggest stage number one. Regardless if he do great and win it or he bombited,

he already won. Like guys undrafted, playing in overseas, played in Mexico, played in the league, paid for a trial, worked his way to the Golden State Warriors. He on that stage, he already won. But I do think that the final two will come down to Juan Tosconod Anderson and Cole Anthony. And then I think Cole Anthony is gonna try to get way too freaking on his last dunk. He's gonna Miss jan is gonna give us a good dunk. He's gonna take it home, and he's gonna bring the

Dunk Contest back to Golden State. First Dunk Contest, UH, first Dunk Contest champion and Golden State since the great Jason Richardson from Saginaw, Michigan from Michigan State University. So that's who I got winning the Dunk Contest. The three point Contests Potty Mills, Luke Kannar, Zach Levine, Trey Young, Dasmond Bang, C J mcculloll, and Carl Anthony Towns to two guests of The Draymond Green Show. By the way, Fred Van Vleet and Zach Levine absolutely two guests of

The Draymond Green Show to All Stars. Um as we know, Carl Anthony Towns another All Star, not a guest at a Draymond Green Show, but another All Star. This field is interesting because obviously all these guys can shoot. I'm actually tell y'all who who I think is going to win and why who I think is gonna win? This three point Contest is Carl Anthony Towns. Why I think Carl Anthony Towns is gonna win a three point contest because he has the least amount of movement and his

shot than anyone else on this list. I mean he literally he doesn't jump on his shot, So him picking that ball up and just launching, it's a normal shot for him. He don't jump, so uh, it's target practice

for him. And so I could see Carl Anthony Towns winning the three point because that's who I have win the three point contest just because it's such little motion and it's shot and so obviously all great shooters and as you can see, I'm trying to pick this winner on like some technicality type stuff because I mean this, like, I mean, this is a tough count. This. All these guys shoot the light side of the ball. So I

got Cat Um. I think Kat wins it because he does not move much when he shoots the three ball. It'll just be target practice. Yeah, I got Cat as well. But I think I'm gonna go with Jalen Green for dunk. Go on, Jalen Green, I hear you that, you see I told y'all I'm gonna think Jalen Green and that guy doesn't usually win it because he gotta get so freaky to get the fifty And did they miss? It's

a good point, all right? Next one, who is a player or a couple of players in the NBA outside of John Rap Not gonna let you picked John Moran because we've talked a lot about John Morrenn already on the show. But who's the guy outside of John Rand? Do you think has uh has made a leap this season? Um? Hm hmm. Guys who I think made a leap this sea? Is it? I think I'm gonna pick two guys and um for very different reasons. The first one is has been a guest on The Draymond Green Show, which is

Darius Garland. I think the leap that he's made from last year to this year the leap and due to his leap, his personally the leap that their team has made from last year to this year. He's been incredible. Um, and I it's been beautiful to watch and like, I can go go around the list, but I'm going to stick to what I said. I'm gonna pick two guys. And although there's a long list, I mean, you got

Myles Bridges, you can go all of those guys. I'm going to go to Mark de Rosen, who a guy who's already been an All Star, uh several times, a guy who's been a household name for years in this league, was written off for the last two three years since he was traded from Toronto to San Antonio. Um, everybody picked apart of this game and how the mid range is dead and he don't shoot threes and blah blah blah blah blah. I mean, look at the amount of

suitors he had in free agency this this year. Yeah, if if all, if everybody knew he would played like this, I mean, everybody would have been not beating down his story's playing at m v P level. He should be top three and m v people right now for sure. Um. I think his last his last six games, he's average and almost forty. UM. And so I have to go to Marta Rosen because of his resurgence, because regardless of what the naysayers has said, Uh, he's stuck with his situation.

He's gone through things in his personal life that no one knew about until they came out that his father had passed away. Um, you know, and recently just saying, like, man, I was flying home after games to spend time with my dad in the hospital, and then flying meeting the team and playing the game to day of like all of those things, you never know what a guy is going through. And yeah, he's right back in a better spot than he was when they actually thought he was.

He was on his way, And so I have a have an appreciation for the way guys bounce back, Like you can get to the top, but when you get to the top, it's hard to stay there. If you leave the top, it's almost impossible to get back. And yet that's what DeMar has done. And so for that reason, I gotta give it to DeMar. DeRos love that DeMar has been been unbelievable this year. Let's do one more. Who's a player in the league that you think most

fans don't appreciate how good they are? Player in the league that I think most fans don't appreciate how good they are other than me. Um, let's see player in the league that fans do not appreciate how good they actually are. Mm hmm. That's a good one. That's a really good one. And I'm going to have to go with I stumped here, that's a good one. I'm going

to have to go with Clay Thompson. And the reason I go with Clay Thompson it's obviously he's just back from injury, so I'm dating back past these fifteen games he's played. Um, I'm just talking total body of work play. Thompson not being on the seventy top seventy five team is ridiculous. Obviously that wasn't the fans that voted on that.

It is utter ridiculous. It's disgusting to basketball is discussing, to winning is discussed, is disgusting to a player of being the absolute or one of the absolute best at their craft and at performing a certain thing within that craft. And when I say that, I'm talking one of the best shooters we've ever seen, a guy who would go take the opposed best guard on the team out of the game, guy who's won three championships, UH, five time All Star and and not on the top seventy five lists.

The fans has that same appreciation. Now their appreciation has changed for Clay a bit due to the injury. And and so it's also more from a sympathetic standpoint than how great Clay Thompson is and that pisces me off. And so if there's one guy that I think the fans don't understand and truly how good he is, is Clay Thompson Now. But Jackson, I appreciate the questions, my brother that those were definitely some fun questions to ask.

And you definitely have me stumped for a little bit there because and and and stumped from the standpoint if I could have went so many different directions with that um but in saying that, it was very hard to come up with one answer, I mean with one guy and kind of roll with that guy, which is why I wrote with my guy Clay Towns Now. But until next week, don't forget subscribe to the show and to

the Volume YouTube page. And next week we have another amazing guests, one of the best guards in the NBA. Obviously we've been around this whole All Star thing. That'll be post All Star, but he is an All Star, not this year due to injury, but we'll have one of the best guards in the NBA, one of the most clutched players, not in just the NBA but in NBA history. And so tweet the Volume and you guess who it is, and we may have a signed jersey or or Draymond Green shoe or something for the first

person to get it right. So that I I said, for this week, see y'all next week from the Draymond Green Show. That's a rap piece.