Dray breaks down Warriors-Nuggets, Steph’s return & Jordan Poole's rise | The Draymond Green Show

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. The Warriors in starting are up 2-0 on the Nuggets. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing. That simply means we had 2 home games, we took care of home court, and that's just that. We don't wanna make too much out of being up 2-0 because the reality is, as they always say, and it's so cliché, but a series does not start until the team wins on the road. And you know, now we have the opportunity to go do that. So it's very important that we come out in game 3 with the mindset of this is a 0-0 series. You know, all we did was take care of our home court and what we are supposed to do. And so the task is still the task, job's not done. Mm-hmm. We understand that we have quite enough playoff experience to understand that being up 2-0 means absolutely nothing. Hell, we understand that being up 3-1 mean absolutely nothing. So you always kind of let that sit in the back of the head somewhere and try not to lose sight of that because it's hard winning games in a playoff series. It's even harder to close out a playoff series. Especially on the road. Again, we're up 2-0. We have the opportunity to do that, but it starts with Game 3. I think when I look back at the first 2 games, you know, the one thing that sticks out and the one thing that everyone's talking about is the new version of the Def lineup with Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. I must say it's been pretty successful these first 2 games. Yeah. Now in saying that, I think there are some things that that group can continue to get better at. I think there are some things that that group will continue to get better at. And the reality is those two games, that's our first time playing together all year. For it to work the way it worked, I mean, it's very exciting because in your mind you figure you're only gonna get better, right? You're like, you're gonna improve. And you know, we'll cover up some things on the defensive end that we possibly could have covered up. We'll continue to get better on the offensive end and get more accustomed to playing with each other. Like those are all the things that you hope. But in saying that, a very small sample size in 2 games, I mean, it's been absolutely incredible. Now what's made it incredible? Well, Klay Thompson in 2 games has shot the ball well. Mm-hmm. And, to be expected. Like you expect Klay Thompson to shoot the ball well. That's who Klay Thompson is. Steph Curry is Steph Curry. First game back, you know, he was good. He was solid. He was really good and solid, but not quite, you know, what you don't expect from Steph Curry is good and solid. No. What we expect from Steph Curry is, I don't even need to throw words out there. You know what I mean? Like what we expect from Steph Curry is what we expect from Steph Curry. Game 1 wasn't that, nor did I expect Game 1 to be that. But Game 2 was exactly that. 23 minutes, 22 minutes and 57 seconds if I'm not mistaken. 22 minutes and 57 seconds. And he finishes with 34 points, plays an absolutely flawless game. I mean, he got off the ball, didn't turn, I think he had 2 turnovers, didn't turn the ball over much. That's getting blitzed and that's making plays for other guys. I thought the way Steph Curry put pressure on the rim last night was absolutely incredible. And it opened up the 3-point shot. 'Cause if you watch the game, I think they're, you know, in their mind it's like, we gotta take the 3 outta the game. And all, I mean, their entire defense was pressed up. Like they're pressed up, they're above the 3-point line. They're essentially trying to force you to drive. Well, Steph Curry took those drives and then it opened the floor up and it opened the 3-point shot up. So I thought what Steph Curry came off the bench and did, he got us, he came off and got us settled in. I think they went up 7-0. Jordan Poole had his own 5-0 run to kind of get the game settled down. But Steph Curry, when he came in at the 6-minute mark, it really just settled things down. It really showed us how we truly wanted to attack their pick and roll coverage. We were able to figure out a lot. And you know, their pick and roll coverage was a little different than it was in game 1. They were, you know, I think in game 1, we dissected them in the pocket. And that's, you know, what's dissecting them in the pocket? That's— me setting a screen for Steph Curry. That's me setting a screen for Jordan Poole. That's Otto Porter setting a screen for Jordan Poole. And now once that guy roll and you see the big who's guarding the guy who sets the screen as well as Jordan's man pursuing once he's screened, then you roll and you open up and a guy drops that little pass. That's called a pocket pass because you're dropping it into the pocket. A pocket opens up, that's called a pocket pass. We absolutely took advantage of them in the pocket. And so what I noticed immediately, and if you think back to the game, there was a lot of kickballs from them because what they made a concerted effort to do was take the pocket away. And so because of that, it kind of changed up their pick and roll coverage a bit. And we had to adjust and figure that out. I think once we figured it out, we were all good. Mm-hmm. And it's not like we, you know, we didn't really play out of the pocket much because they took the pocket away. But our guards were great. Steph Curry came in and did what he had to do. Andrew Wiggins was attacking the basket, which was great. You know, when you have a guy, I think back to Joe Dumars, who was like a father figure of mine. And we used to always talk about NBA basketball. And he used to tell me, Draymond, you all on, on your team, you always have to have a fence bender, like someone who's going to bend that fence over and over and over again. And I thought that's what Wiggins has been these first couple games is he's been a fence bender where he's just bending the fence back, bending the fence back. And once he bends the fence back, then everyone else can come in and you can work behind the play. And that's when everything else starts to open up. And so I think Wigs, the way Wigs has been attacking the rim has been incredible. But also the way Wiggins has been rebounding and no one's really talking about that, but that's what allows that newer version of the Death lineup to really work. You know, if I'm battling with Joker, which is a tall task, which we'll talk about by the way, but if I'm battling him and I'm trying to keep him off the board, it's very hard for me to then go get that rebound. And with Wiggins coming back in and rebounding, Klay Thompson coming back in and rebounding, I think Jordan Poole had 4 or 5 rebounds last night. As we always say, we all know Steph Curry's a great rebounder. That is very important into the small lineup working. And I thought Wiggins has been incredible with his attacks on the rim. I thought he's been incredible on the defensive end. He's been locked— Wiggins has been locked in like I've never seen Wiggins locked in before. And when I say that, I just mean like game plan, discipline, in the fray, rebounding the basket. I mean, it's been beautiful to see. Yeah. And I mean, the way he's stepping up to the challenge, doing all of the little things, it's been beautiful to see. So that too is what has helped that lineup. And then of course we get to the young sensation, most improved player, Jordan Poole. And what he's doing to defense is absolutely insane. I mean, you think of a defense having to prepare for Steph Curry, which is a nightmare. Yeah. And then having to prepare for him twice. That's a totally different nightmare. And right now that's what I see outta Jordan Poole. When I'm out there playing with Jordan Poole, like the same little life hacks, if you will, that I use when I'm playing with Steph Curry to get him open, I'm starting to realize, or I have realized, are the same little life hacks I can use to get Jordan open. And it's in large part due to his skillset. Yeah. And you know, Jordan, as we all know, he went to the school down the highway from Michigan State University. No need to mention the school's name, but I absolutely hated him. I mean, he play against Michigan State, like, get this kid outta here. Like, he never backed, I've never seen him back down in a moment. And that dates back. To then, like I've never seen him shy away from a moment. He want all those moments and it showed in these two playoff games. I mean, he got 59 points in two games. What is that? 29.5 point average a game? First two playoff games? That's a different thing. Like that's a totally different beast. And not to be confused, he's out there running alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Yeah. That right there is intimidating in itself. You start talking playoff basketball, the accolades that we have, and then you throw this young kid in there. I mean, I say that with all due respect. And he's just out there running around and playing like he's not playing next to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, which is a very big deal because most people wouldn't know what to do in that situation. Most people would just be like, "Oh man, I'm out here with them." I'm gonna sit back, I'm gonna, you know, get out the way. Nah, that's not what he's doing. He like, no, I want more of that. Like, no, bring the ball over here. Oh man, they scoring, they on a little run. Slow down, slow down. Let me go get a layup. Like his floor game and what he's doing right now is, that's what's most impressive to me than anything. It's not the shot making. Like guys, there's a bunch of guys in the NBA that can make shots. Yeah. It's not him getting to the hole. It's his floor game that's been the difference for me. That's been absolutely incredible. He's starting to face double teams now. And like all of that stuff is different for him. The way he's handling all of those things, absolutely incredible.