Draymond Green and JJ Redick break down threats to the Warriors' title run. Green calls the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Dončić the biggest threat, praising the Clippers and Knicks as Western Conference concerns. They also discuss the Grizzlies' youth and Ja Morant's authenticity in the league.
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What's up everybody, it's Draymond Green from the Draymond Green Show. Make sure you subscribe to the Old Man and the Three.
And it's JJ and Tommy. Make sure you subscribe to the Draymond Green Show and the Volume.
Run it back. With the Memphis series in particular, do you respect all the shit that they talk or is there part of you where like you guys haven't earned it? Oh no, I love it. I think it's absolutely incredible. I love them talking shit. I think it's great. You know, I've spoke on the podcast before about Memphis being oblivious to the situation. Like they're young. No, I'm serious. It's not an insult. It's actually a compliment. They're young and they don't know how big these moments are, so they're just oblivious to it. We've been there before where you're just in the moment and you're playing and like, I'm in my third year, we competing for a championship. And like, you just in that moment. Like, you don't know how big this moment is. You don't even know to get nervous because you don't understand how big the moment is. And so I've said that about Memphis. Like, those young guys, they're unfazed by anything. And a large part of the reason that they're unfazed is because they just don't understand how big the moment is. Now, talking shit to the team that won a championship after they beat you after they win a championship is an entirely different level of oblivion. [LAUGHTER] It doesn't get much more oblivious than that. And I think for them, you're now gonna be expected to do that. You're now gonna be expected to win these games. And it's not as easy when teams are coming for you. And so I think now they're going to get their reality check. And it's not that they won't still be able to win. They may still be able to win, but they're going to realize how much harder it is for them to win. And now, because they're talking the way they're talking, they better lose that oblivion because they better understand these moments now are huge. Like, you know, I love Ja. I love his demeanor. I love how he carry himself. I think being true and authentic to yourself It's like the way to go. You've shown that. You've shown that. I've shown that in this space. Like being true to yourself. Authenticity is what sells. Everyone say controversy. Authenticity sells. Authenticity is why Stephen A. sells, not 'cause he creates controversy. If that was the case, Skip Bayless would sell.
Yeah.
But authenticity sells. And so I absolutely love Ja Morant and everything that he stands for. But now you're gonna be expected to do that. And don't go out there oblivious. You better understand these moments. 'Cause you go out there talking, talking about, yeah, come to, I mean, to show you the level of oblivion, by the way, Ja told me on Twitter, "Yeah, bring them to the M for Christmas." Fuck no, nobody's coming to Memphis for Christmas, number one.
Hahaha.
Number two, the champs don't travel for Christmas. And I know everybody, you know, when you tweet under, I said shout out to LJ. Like, Bron changed that rule years ago where you win the championship, you play at home. So maybe we'll see them kids in the Bay for Christmas Day. I'll invite 'em over for dinner. They can have dinner with me and my family after we beat 'em on Christmas Day, if that game happens.
I said this a few times during the playoffs, while they were still playing. So through the first round, through the second round, not in the same way, but like eerily similar in some ways to our '09 Magic team that made the Finals. It's like the first time a group goes through something and like has the capability to win a conference to get to the Finals, it's hard to gauge them and assess them in real time.
Mm-hmm.
And then of course, you know, they lose to you guys.
Hey, there go Mr. Goodala.
Yeah.
Hey, there we go. On Black people time, just like here. ET is here too. ET, what's up, man?
ET, what's up, man?
Point Forward Podcast.
I know, Point Forward Podcast. But it's hard to gauge them in real time, right?— and then, of course, they lose to you guys. But when you look towards next year, sort of like— you said you're gonna win 3 of the next 4. Great for you. I hope you do. But when you look forward in the Western Conference and you think about threats, where do you see threats?
Clippers.
Clippers. Knicks. The Knicks.
The Knicks.
Wow.
Wow. Where do I see threats? He said the West, all right? Can we leave the Knicks in Brooklyn out of this? He specifically did that so y'all don't boo me off the stage, by the way. Where do I see threats in the West? So I could be Memphis and be oblivious to it, or I could understand that they're a threat but not a problem. Memphis is a threat. —because, like, they're young and talented. Now, will they keep that together? Because I think a huge part of them is, like, their camaraderie and being young all together. But then you see they just traded D'Anthony Melton, you know? So you start to see those pieces get pulled out, and it's not the same vibe. So then can they recapture that? But they're a threat—not a problem, but a threat. Mm-hmm. The Clippers got Ty Lue as their coach, who I arguably—
Thank you.
Is arguably— I mean, I have a great coach myself, Steve Kerr. But for the sake of the old media debates, Ty Lue is arguably one of the best coaches in the NBA. Arguably the best. You know, someone can make that argument. And then they have great players, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, the guys that they're filling in around them with. You go pull a trade off and get Robert Covington and—
Norman Powell.
Norman Powell. And you already have Marcus Morris there and Reggie Jackson. They're a real threat. Batum may, probably will resign there. Like, that's a real threat and a problem. Like, they're a threat and a problem. But other than that— Were you surprised? Were you surprised Dallas got there? I'm sorry. Dallas is a threat because they have one of the best players to play. And when you have, like— by all means, don't get it twisted. There were a lot of reasons we won the Finals, but We had the best player on the court every series we played in. So your chances of winning goes through the roof. In most series that Luka Dončić plays in, he's gonna be the best player on the floor. So because of that, you'll always give yourself a chance. And then they got Nico Harrison, who, I mean, you and I both know how Nike negotiate, and that was Nico negotiating those contracts. So they got Nico doing the job with J-Kidd, And I think their secret ingredient to their thing is Jared Dudley. Jared Dudley is one of the smartest guys that I've been around when it comes to basketball. And you know, Duds is very smart. So I think that's their secret ingredient. So Memphis, I mean, Dallas is a threat. Can't quite say they're a problem yet, but they are 100% a big threat. Memphis is a little threat. Dallas is a big threat. Dallas is a big threat.
