In this episode of The Draymond Green Show, Draymond Green answers fan‑submitted Twitter questions with producer Jackson facilitating. He first discusses how the Warriors’ young players adapt to the heightened intensity of the playoffs, emphasizing that minutes must be earned, citing Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga as examples of players who have gained trust through performance, and noting the role of veterans like Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter in guiding them. Next, he compares the Golden State Warriors to the Miami Heat, highlighting the similarity of both teams being built around toughness—Jimmy Butler for the Heat and his own defensive identity for the Warriors—while stressing the many differences in offensive style and personnel, concluding the teams would play “two different tapes” in a Finals matchup. He then explains his pick‑and‑roll decision‑making process, describing how he reads the low‑post defender and the secondary wing defender to determine whether to lob to a shooter (Klay Thompson, Otto Porter, Jordan Poole) or finish, and notes the developing chemistry with Andrew Wiggins to recreate the “weak‑side dive lob” of past seasons. Finally, Green shares a personal anecdote about growing up a Shaquille O’Neal fan and expresses his desire to both play alongside and defend Shaq, framing it as the ultimate challenge. The episode wraps with a brief sign‑off and a teaser about upcoming games.
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What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. And before we wrap up today's episode, as you know, you know, I announced last week that we're going to do, add a mailbag session and take questions from Twitter. Jackson has done the work and found the questions. And brought the questions here as Jackson always does. Jackson makes this whole thing go. I'm very appreciative of Jackson. Jackson, what you got for me? What's our questions?
Okay.
What did the people bring to the Draymond Green Show?
Yes, just a reminder, if you want to ask questions for the next episode, it's #TheDraymondGreenShow on Twitter. That's where I'm going to pull these questions. First one from Garrett Bullock @GarrettBull10. How are these young guys adapting to the playoffs, the intensities, mistakes, the crowd, even though they may not be getting the same minutes they got in the regular season? How do you keep the young guys accountable and make sure they're still bought in and locked in?
Well, I think it's, I think, Garrett, I think it's very important that young guys, number one, understand that very thing, that you are a young guy, that playoff minutes are earned, that just because you did things in the regular season, it's a totally different level. And you have to earn that trust of your coach in the playoffs. Now who has earned that trust of our young guys? Jordan Poole has earned that trust of coach during the playoffs and he's playing absolutely incredible. Jonathan Kaminga has played now 11 meaningful minutes in this series and his 11 minutes, he worked his minutes. He played incredibly well. But that's not a bash to just say, oh man, Kaminga played well. Steve Kerr has to get him in the game more. That's still a process. That's still trust that you have to gain. And when you have veterans like Andre, like Otto Porter, a coach normally is gonna tend to lean towards those veterans because it's just more of a comforting thing for a coach because you lean on that experience. And so I think our young guys has done an incredible job of adjusting to the physicality, intensity level, and not making the mistakes that they made during the regular season. Everyone makes mistakes, but I think they've done an incredible job of adjusting. I think our leaders has done an incredible job of leading them. And I think it's all working out and it's coming together the way that we want and need it to come together.
Fantastic. Let's stay in the, in the playoffs right now and then we can move off of it. But from George Michael Perez at George Mike Perez, Thought this was an interesting question. I've never heard someone really ask a question like this. Are there any similarities and differences between the Warriors and Heat that a regular fan does not see? Big time Heat fans, that's why I'm asking. Love the pod and keep it going.
Um, George, are there any similarities and, or, and differences between the Warriors and the Heat?
There's obviously a lot of differences. I think the question is more about similarities.
Bunch of differences. The similarities I think are Miami is built, they are built around Jimmy Butler's toughness. And then that kind of, you know, moves, you know, not that PJ Tucker isn't tough, not that Bam Adebayo isn't tough, but Jimmy Butler's the leader of that team. And I think they are, built around that toughness. They feed off that toughness, very similar to how we are built. And, you know, and kind of my toughness and that's my role on this team. And so I do see some similarities there with that. But as far as our two teams go, I don't think there's much similarities. I think a lot of our shooting on our team comes from— Draymond Green. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole. And then their shooting comes from like Tyler Herro, Max Strus, you know, Duncan Robinson, which, you know, the roles that those guys play on that team and the roles that our 3 guys play on our team are 2 totally different roles. So I'd personally say, I think there's more differences in, a ton more differences than they are, than there are similarities. I'd actually go a step further and say if, if those two teams were to meet in the NBA Finals, it's like the tale of two tapes. Like we kind of don't play the same basketball at all.
Next one from Lathan Poulon. Apologies if I'm mispronouncing that name. @LathanP24. Talk about running the pick and roll with you as the playmaker on the roll. What are you looking for since we haven't seen those weak side dive lobs like you used to throw to Iggy?
Well, I think it takes some time for guys to get accustomed to making that cut that Iggy became so infamous for making. And it's a read, you know, and it, you know, me and Wiggins are almost there. Like we're getting very close to getting that lob, but it just takes some time to build that chemistry. And I think for us, we haven't, Draymond Green had the fortune of having great health this year. And so all the pieces that you now putting into the puzzle to make that an actual thing and to allow that to be open, they're just now getting there. And so now you're just now learning how to read that cut, when to cut backdoor, when, you know, when not to go and to make that play happen. And so I feel like we're getting there. Like I saw it once in game 4 where I could have thrown it I was like, ah, I just missed it. And so we're getting really close to that. Watch out for it. Putting the pressure on Wiggins. I hope he hear this. Wigs gonna make that cut for me and I'm gonna toss that lob up. But I think for me, when I come outta the pick and roll, I'm just looking for that backside low man and what decision he's going to make. Is he gonna step up and stop me and make me make the next play? Is he going to make me finish? If he does step up, is the next defender, is he pulling in is he staying out with the shooter? Because if he pulls in to tag the guy that was being guarded by the defender that already stepped up to take me up, if now the defender comes from the wing to tag and take his man away, then I'm looking to the wing to one of my shooters. And then that's where you got Klay Thompson for 3, or I'm kicking it to Otto Porter. He's swing, swing to Jordan Poole. And that's kind of how that unfolds. So my number 1 read is— 1. The guy who's in the hole, the one guy who's the bottom low man, which we call in the NBA, which you're the last tag, you're the last line of defense. And then also we call it a sink guy. And that's the guy who's coming from the wing to either sink in and tag or he misses his tag. So I'm reading those two guys. My man doesn't even matter. He's outta the play. He's the least of my worries. I'm trying to read those next two guys in line and then make that play. Yeah.
Last one from Santiago Perdiz, @SantiagoPerdiz. Which player from NBA history would you want to play with and one you want to play defense against?
One player from NBA history that I would want to play basketball with. I think the player that I would wanna play basketball with and play defense on at the same time is Shaq. I grew up a Shaq fan. I had Orlando Magic nightlight, the zip-up onesie, like an iron-on Shaq jersey. I was a huge Shaq fan. So if I could play basketball with Shaq, and then if I could also guard Shaq so I can shut everyone up with the, "Oh, you can't guard Shaq." Of course I can't guard Shaq, but I can get a stop. Like, I ain't saying I'm gonna stop him repeatedly, but I think at some point I'm going to get a stop. Yeah. But I would love that challenge though. Like Shaq, Shaq's, like I said, he's my favorite player growing up. If I had the opportunity to guard him, like that's everything for me. If I had the opportunity to play basketball on Shaq's team, that's everything for me. So that's an easy one for me. Shaq D's, of course, that was my guy. So if, you know, everybody say, "Oh man, if you played in the league back then, you wouldn't be able to guard Shaq, or you wouldn't be able to guard King." Shut up. I'm guarding Shaq. Bring on the big fella. That's it, man, on this week's episode of the Draymond Green Show. Talk to y'all later this week. Hope y'all enjoyed this analysis. When I talk to y'all later this week, Dubs, Denver should be over. That's it, it's a wrap, peace.
