Darius Acuff Jr. Talks 2026 NBA Draft Workouts, Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, & Detroit Roots

What's up everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show. On today's show, we have, I had the honor and I think maybe his first podcast interview ever, but this past college season he was the SEC Player of the Year. He was the SEC Rookie of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, AP All-American First Team selection. Honestly, guy who I think was the best point guard in the country by a long shot. Took his team to the Sweet 16, won the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the best point guard in the nation. Becoming the first player from the University of Arkansas to win that award and the first freshman. Kid from the city of Detroit, played on the same AAU team I played on with the family. And I had the opportunity to do this interview before I recorded the intro. And when I tell you, in doing this interview, I've obviously had a lot of experience, um, of dealing with people from the city of Detroit. And there's a certain mindset that comes with a person that's from the city of Detroit. And with, with our guest Darius Acuff, um, you can tell in speaking to him— and you, I hope you can see the same thing in this interview— but you can tell in speaking to him that he embodies what it is to be from Detroit, but it's a little extra sauce and spin to it, right? Like he has the confidence of someone from the city of Detroit, which ultimately is gonna bode so well for him as he start his journey into the NBA. So hope you all enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed it and getting to chop it up with the young fella. Yeah. But let me introduce to y'all none other than the one and only Darius Acuff. Welcome to the Draymond Green Show, my brother.

Appreciate you for having me, my guy. Thank you.

As we start this interview, I think getting into it, gotta start with the NBA Finals. Have you been watching these games? Anything you're watching in specific if you have been watching?

Yeah, I've been watching. Really been, I've been focused on, you know, both teams of course, but really been seeing how Jaylen Brunson is navigating through the defense and stuff like that. Obviously as a point guard, myself, you know, I've been paying attention to that. But no, it's a great— it's two teams that got great players, but their role players is really, you know, taking over the game and getting them, you know, KAT is getting the Knicks, he getting it done for the Knicks right now. So I'm definitely seeing that.

You had to pick the Finals MVP right now. Who is the Finals MVP right now if the series ended last night?

If the series end, I gotta give it to JB. I got to, man. He doing something different. But who changing the game? I definitely say KAT. It'll be between them two, 'cause KAT, he taking a big, like a big role on defense too. So he doing, he doing a lot right now for sure. I say that, but it'll be between them two.

I would definitely have to go. I would definitely have to go with Cat. I think like what he's doing defensively, but it's been huge. I think, you know, taking on the challenge to guard Wimby coming into this series, I think we all thought OG would be the one that had to take on that challenge, you know, and to see him, embrace and take on the challenge. I've enjoyed it. But I'm gonna tell you another thing that I've watched that I think has changed the game entirely. He's, he, Wemby's guarding him and he pulling Wemby away from the rim. So now you got Wemby away from the rim. He's not rebounding as well. He, Wemby has the same amount of rebounds in this game, in the series as Josh Hart does, you know? And so he's not rebounding as well. Because he's pulled out from the rim. He's also not having the same impact entirely on the game defensively because he's pulled away from the rim. And I don't, you know, when he's able to float around, they've been trying to do some things where once KAT, you know, if KAT sets a screen, they're trying to switch to get Wimby to the corner so that he can still protect the rim. But with him having to guard KAT, KAT shoot the ball so well. I think that's changed.

That's what's changed. Messing their whole game plan up, yeah.

Yeah, for sure. Exactly, exactly. So it's been, but I'm gonna tell you another thing though. I think a lot of guys in the league has had a problem with KAT because a lot of guys have felt like he don't play hard enough, he don't play tough enough, he don't play with the intensity that most people want him to see. And I think in watching this playoffs, like he's changed that entirely. And it's the key to why they're having the success that they're having.

Sure, facts. I agree with that.

Just wanna get into your background and how you grew up. First off, I know your dad played at Eastern Kentucky and I know, growing up, heard a lot about it, mentor of yours, uncle Rashad Phillips, one of the best scorers to ever come out of the state of Michigan. You know, watched him growing up, one of the best scorers. And you know, he's, to my knowledge, he's, him and your dad has played a huge role into the player that you've become. Can you talk to me about those, your dad and Rashad and the impact that they've had on your game and your life?

Yeah, for sure. Gotta give all the credit for sure to my pops. I would say, um, ever since I was born, you know, he's been that one person that I've worked out with. Um, growing up, he kind of was my AAU coach too. Um, so for like over the first couple years of my AAU time, my pops was my coach, so I had him on the sidelines with me. Um, Rashad, like, he was there, but Rashad— people don't know Rashad moved to Orlando a while, like, after he got done playing. So Rashad wasn't around as much, but every time I seen him, he showed love. He worked me out. Uh, I go out there sometimes, sometimes he come back home, we work out at his school, Ferndale. So, but both of them for sure. But my pops, he was the main one with me every day teaching me everything I really know about the game. But yeah, it was both of them together, them two basketball minds for sure. So it was great to have them around all the time.

Absolutely. I've had the pleasure of meeting your dad, but you know, with Rashad, I follow him on Twitter. And when you see the things that he say on Twitter about the game of basketball, he's one of the most brilliant basketball minds that I've seen from the things that he's, the way he breaks down the game, but then also the way he evaluate talent. Like, I think he evaluates talent better than most people in the NBA.

He be calling stuff out 4 years before it happen.

It's unbelievable, man. This dude be like, yo, Damian Lillard, this kid, a freshman over at Weber State, watch out for him. 4 years later, Damian Lillard, a top 6 pick. Like, the way he evaluate talent is insane. And you know, I know your dad played at Eastern Kentucky. He played one year, had a great year there. Can you give us the background, the story of why he had such a great year but only played one year at the school?

Yeah, so my pops, his coach, he left school after that. His coach, Scott Perry, I think went to the NBA after that. So he kind of left school, was at home for a while, then he went back to Shaw and stuff like that. Yeah, he, um, he the first year, I know, I know he told me like the first year he was there, he didn't, he didn't play because he broke his foot or something like that. He sat out. So he got one year back and he played. That was, that was his first year. The next year, I believe. So he, nah, he was— I never seen no tapes or nothing. Um, they don't have, you know, no tapes out or nothing, but from my knowledge and what I've heard, you know, he was like a great point guard. Um, great, great fast point guard, willing to get a ball up at any time, but if you need him to score, he will. And The only thing he probably got over me is the bounce. From what I've heard, that's the only thing he got over me. I don't really do too much dunking. So that's the difference between us for sure. It's crazy.

That's hilarious. You mentioned the name Scott Perry being his coach. I've known Scott for a long time from his days in Detroit, obviously was, you know, coach at University of Michigan as well. And just coming up, he's now, the general manager of Sacramento Kings. Throughout your life, have y'all kept that relationship constant? Do you know Scott well? How, what's, what's the relationship there?

Yeah, I ain't really, nah, growing up I wasn't really communicating with Scott like that. I ain't really know who my pops' coach was, you know, growing up. Like I always heard the name, but I, you know, I was young. I ain't understand, you know, who he was. He worked in the NBA, all that type of stuff. So I got knowledge of it around 2023 when I was at the USA camp. And he was one of the speakers there. And I'm like, oh, that's who y'all been talking about. So I went up to him, I'm like, yeah, you, he like, I introduced myself. He like, yeah, he like, he talked funny. He talked like he from the city. He like, yeah, I know you, I know you. He like, yeah, I coached your dad. I was like, yeah, for sure. And then from that point on, it's been love for sure. But first time I met him, I was 16, 2023.

Wow, that's amazing. That's incredible. And speaking of first time meeting him being 16 years old, We played on the same AAU team. You know, Coach Speedy, incredible, the family. Speedy was the first person to tell me like, yo, you a guard, you gotta get in shape. Speedy would always do this. He'd be like, yo man, you gotta lose some weight, Draymond. Guard size, man, you gotta get yourself in shape.

Nah.

'Cause at the time when I started playing with the family, I always had guard skills, right? I grew up playing point guard. As a young, but then once I got to high school, I was playing the 4 and sometimes the 5, you know? And so I go down there, I get in the post, I bang, I had post work, all of that. And Speedy would tell me, Shaq was my favorite player growing up, right? So Speedy would tell me like, hey man, I know you love Shaq. Shaq 7 feet, Dre, you 6'6". You Richard Hamilton height, you guard size, Dre. All right, so you gotta start shooting the 3. You gotta bring them, I'm like, "All right, cool. Thank you. Like, let me shoot the 3. Let me bring the ball up side." You ain't gotta tell me twice. Absolutely. I'm pushing the ball up. I'm shooting the 3. Like, yeah, nah, Speedy, I'll do all of that for sure. But he had, and I only had the opportunity to play with the family for a year. And the impact that he had on my life, on my game was incredible. What was it like for you growing up and playing with the family and having a guy like Speedy you know, who's running the program around to help your game grow?

Yeah, I just, I was just with him like an hour ago. He was at my workout. He told me, he told me I was at the, I met him at the gym or something. He told me to tell you he love you too. He told me to tell you that before I came out.

I love Coach.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He told me to tell you he love you. But nah, Speedy was, he was there from the start, man. Like my first, I first went to the family in 8th grade, which was during COVID So I wasn't in school, you know, I was online, you know, COVID was happening. So I switched to the family, came from Bates Fundamentals at first. I was with Reach all my life growing up. That was our neighborhood AAU team growing up. And then I switched to Bates. Yeah, Reach Legends.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That was our team growing up. So, you know, I went to Speedy in the 8th grade and from the first practice on, he was on me. He always say like, yeah, nephew, first time I saw you, I thought you weren't listening to me. Because I had like a mask, you know, COVID, I had a mask on, so I'm not, you know. He like, yeah, I thought you hard-headed little motherfucker, you weren't listening to me. I'm like, nah, I'm listening to everything you saying to me. But he had a big impact, man. Speedy, the first person to, you know, teach me how to really like be a leader, you know, of a team. Uh, I was young, playing up, and he just told me like the team gonna go as you go. That's one thing you got to learn because you're about to enter high school. Um, when you get to the next level in college as the point guard, you're gonna be the leader. So that was one thing he installed in me first. And then he just always told me, make sure your teammates love you first, and then that's when you, you start playing the game more. So I give credit to him a lot, uh, him and Ryan. That's my dog for sure. Ryan's daughter, that's my dog. So yeah, Mariah is the best.

Yeah, Ryan is amazing. I actually had the opportunity I don't know if you remember, I came and watched y'all play when y'all played at Seal Beach a few years back. I think that was your— Maybe before your—

Summer of '23, I think.

Yeah, maybe before your senior year.

Before my junior year.

A couple years back.

Yeah.

Okay, yeah. And I had the opportunity to watch you and Trey McKinney, and I must tell you, watching you then and watching you now, You were a really good player then.

Yeah.

And you're on your way to great now. But watching you play then, when I left that game, I was like, man, I wanted to see him go at them a little more. Like, I don't know if he cared enough, but he's so good. I wanted to see him. And then the next time I saw you play, IQ through the roof, pace of your game, through the roof. How you controlled the game was out, like grew outstanding. But what I saw in particular, and which a lot of people have something to say about it, and I completely disagree. What I saw was this year, especially towards the beginning of the year, and I think it changed a little bit as the year went on and you realize you had to do so much for your team this year. The challenge you start taking defensively. Like I went from watching your game then to watching your game now, I think you've become so much of a better defender. But the pace of your game, I think you figured out that, you know, I'm that slow to fast, right? Like not always at one pace, slow to fast. When I need my speed burst, when I don't, I think I've seen that grow. So much over the last couple years. Can you, like, who's helped you over the last couple years? You transfer, you left Cass Tech, transfer to IMG. Who's helped you so much over the years? Just grow the way you've grown over the last few years. 'Cause it's been absolutely beautiful to watch.

Yeah, I agree with everything you said. Like around that time, I felt like I was just like, like just hooping, you know, just going out there, just hooping, just trying to score, trying to, you know, just hooping out there. Um, but I think that switch, you know, the IMG helped me a lot too. But really, really, like I said, my pops, man, he, he been there through everything in my life. So him being in my ear, like, you would think he your biggest fan, but after every game he telling me like, bro, you not, you not going hard, you're not playing for real. Like, you treating— like, if sometimes we play a weak team, he like, you got to treat everybody the same, because what if, what if that weak team beat you one day and now they gonna be talking about, oh, we beat them, or we did this to him, you know? So I just think that switch to IMG really kind of shaped me a little bit, like made me take the game a little more serious. Um, because, you know, in that league over there, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta have that, you gotta have seriousness, seriousness in you, because you playing against somebody good every day, for real. Um, but going to college, that was— I, I knew I had to have a different mentality playing with Coach Kyle. That it ain't, that ain't for everybody, you know what I'm saying? So you gotta have, you gotta, like, like I said with Speedy, that leader part, that's really what took me to the next level this year. I feel like trying to be a leader because, you know, I'm playing with older guys. You know, I had guys on my team, Brazil, Nick, Malik, they was all 22, 23. So coming in at 18, you know, I gotta speak up, I gotta be vocal, or they gonna be like, you know, this our point guard, you know what I'm saying? So just taking that, you know, from high school to college, that I think that definitely helped me a lot. But I give a lot of credit to my coach at IMG for sure.

And speaking of coaching, Coach Cal has coached so many great players, so many great guards, point guards in particular. One being on y'all staff this year. What was the impact of Coach Cal, but even more than Coach Cal, because I know how great Coach Cal is. What was it like for you having a Tyler Ulysse on the staff? A guy who I see all the time, every, year that he's been on there. When the guards come out the game, he's sitting next to him. What was it like having Tyler Ulysse, young, can relate to you, you know, just finished playing in the NBA, just college not long ago? What was it like having him on the staff there at Arkansas with y'all?

No, it was great, man. When we— like, when I first learned he was there in Kentucky, the first year he was there, I think was 2023. That year I was a junior, and That was around the time Cal was recruiting me. Um, so I started watching T.U. a lot. Like, I knew about him of course, but I never really, you know, studied for real. So I started studying for real, and I'm like, if he was 6'4", he might have been— he might have been like a real, real— like, he was a problem. But if he had 6'1", 6'2", if he got about 3, 4 more inches, he probably still— we still be talking about him right now in the league, I feel like. Um, but he helped me a lot. Like, I always tell people, any questions that I had as far as like the offense or reading this, reading this type of action, I went to T.U. Time. Like you said, every time one of us come out the game, we sit next to him, um, because he over there talking to us, he giving us knowledge. Um, Coach Cal, like, his offense is like, it's pretty much like his guards. Of course everybody know that. So T.U. knew like the system. T.U. knew the system. So if he saw something, he instantly, he get on it, boom, real quick. And shit, I was no choice, I was listening. I'm, I'm all ears, you know. I'm listening to everything he's saying because he, he know it. And I've watched him, I've seen, I know he know it. So He gave me a lot of advice. We worked out a couple times. He was just showing me the pace of the game, um, just how to read, you know. He was the first person, I think, at the end of the year, towards my end of my freshman year, like, like, start drawing fouls more. Like, start not necessarily like flopping, but like, like, getting to the line more because their team started guarding me different. He like, you gotta start drawing more fouls. And it started working for sure.

That's fire. That's fire. It's so amazing to have somebody like that I think all coaches need to bring in former player, young former players that can relate to guys. You know, like so often these coaches, the great coaches we know now, Tom Izzo, John Calipari, they're getting older. You know, like you look at all the great coaches.

Facts.

They're getting older. And I think having a guy like that on your staff, to me, I think it's a cheat code, to be honest with you.

For real.

It's like, you got somebody who can relate to the guys. Like you got somebody who they're gonna feel comfortable talking to, right? They can have a relationship that you can't have, you know? And I think that makes a world of a difference in my opinion.

His staff, his staff is, he got a cheat code staff for sure, Coach Cal. He got Kenny Payne over there. He got Coach Chen over there who I was, that's like uncle to me. He trained me every day. That's who I was working out with. He got Bruiser Flynn. He got his son, Brad Calipari. He got T.U. He got Ronnie Brewer. Like that's like a lot of NBA knowledge over there. So it was, that's the best of the best to me. Like to have all that knowledge over there with you is crazy. Absolutely.

All right. Shifting gears a little bit. What draft lottery day, a couple weeks ago, what was it like for you watching the draft lottery? Obviously we all going to the draft knowing like, yo, these, 3 teams, well for you, it'll be 2 or 3 teams. For me, I was looking at, I did 19 draft workouts, so it was a little different situation. But for yourself, I'm sure you and your agent probably know like, yo, these 2, these 3 teams, I'm really in play here at 3 or 4. I'm really in play here at 5 or 6. What was the draft lottery day for you like? Just kind of your first experience.

Yeah.

In the NBA, but a bit, you know, where you're— it's the first thing to impact what's gonna happen to you for the rest of your life. What was that day like?

That day was, that was a lot of nerves going on, man, for real. Like sitting there in the front and seeing what's happening, seeing all the live, you know, teams trading teams. That's something crazy to watch. I was, I ain't gonna lie, I was a little, when it got to 10, I was sitting there a little tense. I ain't gonna lie to you. That's the first time you feel some nerves for real, man. It's crazy 'cause you like, you seeing, "Damn, that just happened to Indiana. That just happened." Like, "What? How that happen?" So you don't understand it, but you there, you live, you seeing it happen. So as far as like me having my mom there with me was the best part though, more than anything, having my mom. It was Mother's Day. So having my mom right next to me and watching all that, telling her what's going on. She ain't understand what was going on, so I'm telling her what's everything going on. That was the best part to me. Like, it was funny, but it was so, it was like, it was great to see. 'Cause that's the most nervous I've been in a while, for sure. I ain't gonna lie to you. It's crazy to sit up there.

That's amazing. That's amazing. And speaking of draft, I think you said you've done 2 or 3 workouts so far. What have you learned in getting into these workouts? You know, working out with the different teams. What have you picked up so far in just being in this environment, being around NBA coaches, you know, seeing different general managers and different things? What would you say has been the biggest takeaway from your draft workout so far?

I ain't gonna lie, shit, you gotta be in shape. You gotta be in shape. You gotta be in shape, man. That's like, the first workout was crazy. I ain't gonna lie, I'm in there, I'm huffing, I'm gassed. Like, it's crazy 'cause like, I'm in there by myself. I'm doing one-on-ohs. So it's a different type of environment, but Just taking all the knowledge, you know, from the NBA staff, that's been the best part for me. I think in this whole process, you know, I've been learning how to ask more questions, you know. I'm not the type of guy to just go ask and do it, you know. Lately, I've been trying to ask more questions just to see how the game, you know, how the game goes. You know, we coming from college, we young, we freshmen, you want to know how it goes. So I think the best part is the knowledge I received from each team and, you know, just seeing how the NBA works. It's been great to see for sure, but you gotta be in shape. That's my number one thing I took away from it for sure.

It's crazy. The conditioning level has to be at another, at a completely different place than it was before.

I've been drinking water more than I ever been.

I've been drinking water more than ever. That's hilarious. You look at the NBA now, what current point guard in the league are you most excited to match up with next season?

I would have to say, I say Kyrie Irving. Just the way he, man, the way he do everything is just, it's amazing to watch, but it's also amazing like to learn from, you know, like you rewind this stuff back when you watching it, you seeing the different things that he do. I feel like, him and Steph, you know, them two great guys that you can watch and really learn from, 'cause they do a lot of different things. You know, Steph moves without the ball more than, better than anybody I've ever seen. Kyrie get his shots off better than anybody. So just, just watching those two, I'm definitely excited to play against those two for sure. I would say just guarding them and taking that challenge and, you know, hopefully competing against them.

And not knowing which team would draft you yet, obviously the draft isn't here yet, but Would you say that there's a specific style of play that fits your game, a specific style of play that you would be looking to play in more than another?

Yeah, I would definitely say like a fast-paced team, like a get out and run team. Like after a make, after like we gone, we getting into like a team that don't really gotta run too many plays to, you know, to score, I would say for sure. Like I said, I like to flow into stuff, like just learn stuff throughout the game. So I feel like you do that by, you know, running different actions, but really just hooping, like moving the ball around and trying to beat your man off the dribble or setting certain screening rolls. But it all take watching film, I would say for sure, because every team has different defensive schemes, especially in the playoffs. You know, your whole game plan got to change. So I definitely say definitely a fast-paced team, like getting on the run, like let's go, like let's hoop, try to score a lot of points, but also getting back and getting stopped for sure.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. And you know, you gonna go to a different city, obviously, adjustment, you know, different state, different city probably than you've ever lived in before. Gotta adjust to the way of life. Do you plan on your family going, moving with you to the city that you gonna go play in? You gonna go by yourself? One of your boys gonna go? When I first got drafted, one of my boys went with me and he moved with me for like 2 or 3 months. And then he ended up moving back home and, well, he went home and ended up never coming back. But it definitely helped me those first couple, 2 or 3 months. 'Cause I mean, even different from you, I never left the state of Michigan, right? Growing up in Saginaw, then going to Michigan State. I never lived out of the state of Michigan. So it was huge for me having somebody that could be with me there when I was making that adjustment. How do you see it going for yourself? Anybody going with you?

Yeah. Yeah, I definitely, um, I'm definitely gonna bring my mom, pops, and my sister for sure, um, because they like every, every step of the way, them three been with me everywhere I've been. And you know, I'm not gonna stop something if it's working, you know what I'm saying? So I want them to see everything that I'm seeing, um, but definitely, uh, I want to bring some— I want to wait, you know, some of my homies, they still in college, and some of my boys still in college, still trying to, you know, you know, do their basketball stuff. Um, yeah, they still in college trying to do their stuff too, so I'm gonna probably wait a couple years for them, but You know, I definitely, I'm bringing them of course to the draft and stuff like that. Definitely my family want them to see everything that I'm seeing. But the main 3 for sure, my mom, pops, and my sister.

For sure. That's amazing, man. And we spoke about this a little bit earlier where I said, I think I saw it a little differently than most people seen it. I saw the beginning of the year, you picking up guys right at half court. I saw your defensive pressure at half court. I think as the season went on, like I said, you had to do so much offensively to carry your team. And defense slipped a little bit, but—

Yeah.

Coming into the league, are you a guy that wanna guard the point guard position? Are you a guy that you rather guard the 2? Because I see so many guys now, and the reality is, unless that's a role that you wanna take on, like most coaches don't really put point guards on point guards anymore. I think that's something that we've seen change over the years. And also with point guard, the point guard play has just risen so much. So everybody want a 6'7" guy to guard the point guard and different things. But do you see yourself as a guy that's coming in like, no, I wanna guard my position. How do you look at it from that standpoint?

Yeah, that's how I always been. You can ask any of my coaches in college, you know, no matter, you know, how much like my defense, no mistakes that I made every night. You know, if they tried to put me on a 2 or a 3, I'm like, Man, I'm not guarding no 3. Like, I play the point, man. I'm guarding the point guard, man. Like, any of my coaches will tell you that. So I think you guarding your position is important because especially if it's like a matchup, like, you not— like, if I'm not guarding you, you not guarding me, it ain't— you know what I'm saying? Ain't no matchup. You know, we just hooping out here. So I'm definitely one of the guys, I like to guard my matchup for sure because I don't want nobody to get off, you know, more than me. So I want to guard my position for sure.

Man, I think one thing you should understand coming into this league, bro, is like, you come into the league, like, show that you wanna defend. Because when I see these guys come into the league and they don't wanna guard their position, they're running from a matchup, the only thing people do is pick on you more, right? Like, if you come into the league as a guy and they figure out like, oh man, he don't wanna guard. It just puts you in a worse position because now every action that they run down the court—

Going to you.

Is at you. Like my job defensively oftentimes is so easy because people don't wanna bring me into action, right? So oftentimes I get to sit back, like explore what's going on on the other side of the— like what they trying to do because they don't wanna bring me into action. And yet I see some guys coming to this league, bro. And when they come in the league, they show right away, like, you know, I don't wanna defend. And it make the job so much tougher because now all of a sudden they calling you in every action. Even if they put you on a wing that can't handle the ball or something like that, they gonna bring that guy in, they gonna set the screen with him. Now they try to get the switch every time. You right here. You know what I'm saying? So if I could give you any advice as far as the defense is like, find the coach. You gonna go to a team, they gonna have an, in theory, an offensive coordinator. They're gonna have a defensive coordinator. Find that coach that's the defensive coordinator. Lock in with that coach because I'm gonna tell you this, half the battle of guarding in the NBA is knowing what a team wanna do. Right, if I know this team wanna get to this set, right? When the game get tough, they're trying to get to this. They wanna get a ball to this guy. If you know what tendencies of players, most important, right? Like I know the tendencies of this guy. I know the tendencies of this team and what it is that they're trying to do. That's half the battle on the defensive side of the ball. So I would say to you, find that defensive coach soon as you get there, right? You come in, you meet the staff, Who runs the defense? Lock in with that guy. Because if you lock in with that guy, most of them, most of these defensive coaches, they're like, they, they, all they do is watch film all fucking day. And you lock in with that guy, A, the way that you're going to learn how to watch film, right? Like I, so oftentimes I see young guys coming to the league and they don't know how to watch film, right? And so you lock in with that guy. It's very, it's gonna be very important for you as a point guard to be a film junkie, to learn how to watch film. You got, as a point guard, man, you gotta make this shit your life if you want to be as great as you can possibly be. And I'm telling you, man, you get with that defensive coach, you lock in with that guy, because if you can learn the tendencies of players and the tendencies of teams, that right there alone is gonna help you on the defensive end. Now, it's also going to make him take a liking to you, and it's gonna put an onus on you on the defensive end, which then goes to what I'm saying. Now you're not the guy that they just wanna pick on. You know what I'm saying? You not the guy who in every game plan, it's like, we going at that guy. You don't, you do not wanna come into this league as that guy. I promise you, it's gonna make your life much harder. If you come in and you say, yo, I wanna defend, I wanna guard these guys, right? It's gonna make your life so much easier. All of a sudden, I done watched you play, you got quick hands. They like, yo, we don't really wanna fuck around with the ball around him. Them, yo, let's get him out the action. You wanna be that guy because then it, what it does honestly is it's gonna allow you to save energy for the offensive end, which you're going to need being the point guard, having to run the show. Probably gonna go to a team that ain't that great because you're such a high draft pick. You gonna need that energy. And if you defend, it's the complete opposite of what everybody say. It's going to work to your advantage. So I really wanna see you come into the league, man, and lock in on that side of the ball. Don't come in being a liability. People, yo, we gonna go at him, giving people something they could pick apart about, you know, pick you apart on. Come in with your head down, locked in on that defense side of the ball. I promise you, bro, it's gonna change everything for you right away.

Appreciate that. I got you.

Absolutely. And you know, just, I love what you said about just being a hooper. You know, they asked you about being an undersized guard.

Yeah.

I'm an undersized guy, undersized for my position. It don't fucking matter. I love that mindset. But the last thing I'll throw at you before we get outta here, not much success from the city of Detroit right now, currently in the NBA, which means for you, And I, you know, I go back home, I'm in the city, down in the city, see people, you are what everybody's talking about. And it's like you're the hope to bring it, you know, bring Detroit back to the NBA, having the whole city behind you. Are you feeling any pressure from the city of Detroit? Are you feeling the love? What's the feeling that you're getting with, you know, your drive coming up and, you kind of carrying the reins for the city of Detroit?

Yeah, I'm just feeling a lot of love more than anything. I feel like one thing, you know, as a city is we always stick together. Detroit always feel like that. No matter how big you get, no matter how, you know, what side you from, where you, none of that. We all stick together, you know? That's what I love about our city. And for me, you know, I play basketball, so I'm just, they know, like people always know me growing up, I'm just like, I wanna hoop. And, you know, get my stuff, get my stuff done and hooping, and all the other stuff will come after. But for me, I'm just focused on, you know, perfecting my craft. You know, in the NBA, when you, when you come out of college, all of your accolades, all of that is, is all that is out the window when you get drafted. Like, it's— you entering a whole new league. You're not, you're not the top guy no more. You're not the best guy no more, you know what I'm saying? So it ain't no class, it ain't no, it ain't no point guard, it ain't no, it ain't no none of that no more. You gotta read You really gotta reprove yourself for real when you go into the NBA, I would say. But for me, nah, it ain't really no pressure for me. I'm just going out there, you know, doing what I gotta do. And you know, I'm doing all that while showing Detroit love, while making sure, you know, we stick together and we just showing each other love. And that's how we roll.

I love it, man. Detroit versus everybody. Detroit versus everybody.

Yes, sir.

I appreciate you coming on the show, man. This is incredible. Just to hear some of your story, hear your mindset. I think you're gonna do great. I think you're gonna do great in this league. I'm looking forward to it. I really, you know, this ain't for you, this is me saying this, but I really hope you go to a great organization because it matters so much. You know what I'm saying? Like, and so I really want that for you, man, but I'm excited to watch your journey. I think if you're not the first point guard off the board, Some team is making a mistake because I don't see another point guard in your class, if I'm honest. But that's just me. I could be a little biased. I'm always show love to my own, but I also watch the game and analyze it. So just wanna wish you good luck, man, on your journey. It's a fun journey. Embrace the rest of this draft process. And I look forward to seeing you at Summer League and watching you dominate and watching you grow into this NBA game.

My God, for sure. I appreciate you, man. We love you out here. You already know that. Saginaw, I love Saginaw, man. I got some peoples out there. So I love— we watch you all the time. We rooting for you for sure, like all the time, ever since I've been growing up. You know, my family, we always rooting for you because people try to talk down like you can't hoop, man. But we always vouching like, man, he changed the whole process of the whole game and people don't even be seeing it. So I definitely been watching you a long time and definitely respect, you know, the way you do your work. So I appreciate you for having me though, for sure. It's always love.

Yeah. That mean a lot, man. I'll tell you what, as you, and you'll see, just yesterday I was 22 years old coming into the NBA and going into year 15, it fly by like that. But I'll tell you something, man, to hear that from you, that mean a lot to me because as you get older, you know, it's kind of a cycle of you come into the league, And you see guys, you know, you see everybody and you like respect it, but you wanna, you going at these guys, right? Because you're like, yo, I wanna gain my respect, you know?

For sure.

And I'll be honest with you, as you get older in this league, the life cycle of an athlete is fucked, man. As you get older, it's like you go from not having any importance to you grow, you grow, you have this importance, and then you start to get older and you really don't know, right? Like you really don't know how somebody looking at you anymore. You know, you really don't know how the young guys feel about you and different things as you go through it because you get older and respect, it go from no respect to all the respect and then you almost lose it again.

You know what I'm saying? Right, for sure.

So for me to hear that from you, you, you, you, you won't understand it right now, uh, but I hope 15 years from now when you going into year 15, I hope you can look back at this conversation and be like, man, I understand what he meant and how much what you just said fucking meant to me. Because it's, it's, it's a, it's an interesting thing going, going through an NBA career. And to hear that from a young guy who's special, who's about to be a star in this league, it means more than you know. And as you grow in this league, you'll look back on this and you'll understand what I meant. But I appreciate you saying that a lot.

That —for sure. Respect.

Yes, sir. So top 5, if you ain't top 5, they all made a mistake. I know it, I see it.

Yeah, we'll see what we see, you know it.

Already, bro. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Yes, sir. For sure. Thank you.

If you're rocking with the Draymond Green Show, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app. And while you're there, go ahead ahead and drop a 5-star rating and leave a review. I want to hear what you think, and it would also mean a ton to me if you share it with a friend that you think would enjoy it. Let's keep this thing growing. The Draymond Green Show is presented by Audacy and executive produced in conjunction with The New Media. Our executive producers are Leah Reese Dennis, Danny Friesinger, and Greg Holtzman. Video production and creative design by Curt Courtney, Tim Meekle, Lauren Vieira, and Evan O'Brien. Special thanks to the team at The New Media and the team at Odyssey. Maura Curran, Josephina Francis, Hillary Shuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Rose, Colin Gaynor, and Jake Gally.

Thank you.