Draymond Green reacts to Bronny James to Lakers, Mikal Bridges to Knicks, T-Wolves NBA Draft winners

Welcome to the brand new Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our content. What's up everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show. The second round of the NBA draft just ended, which is obviously the best round of the NBA draft. All the stars come out of the second round. You know, so we'll discuss that. No, we'll discuss the entire draft. Um, I mean, some exciting things about the draft, not so much on some other parts, but we'll get into that. Uh, Mikal Bridges trade, uh, a few more things going on around the NBA that we will discuss. Uh, but first—

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The 2024 NBA Draft has concluded, and the number 1 pick was Zachary Risacher. Second pick in a row from France to be Well, second number one overall pick from France. Only the fourth, I think, in history. There's that. And everybody's like, ah man, France and Europe is taking over the NBA. And they did, it did seem that way in that draft last, or last night and today. But might I remind you, y'all said this was the weakest draft in recent history. So don't tell me France is taking over the NBA.

Yeah.

And, but because they have so many players drafted this year, or that the, or, you know, international, overseas, however you want to categorize it, don't tell me that they're taking over the NBA and they're far more superior in the NBA because they had a lot of players drafted. And what, even before the draft started, was kind of dubbed as the worst draft for the last 15 years. You cannot then say, oh, because that draft was dominated by European players or French players, that they're now superior to, and they're taking over the NBA. That actually just doesn't make sense to me. Nonetheless, there is this topic of conversation that the European countries are catching up to the Americans. And quite frankly,— I think you'll see very soon in the Olympics how the European countries definitely have put out players. Joker, Luka, you know, as of late, those two, Wemby. They have put out some generational talents as of late, for sure. No debating that. Nobody's arguing that. But there's this big debate on like Europe's taking over the NBA and I just don't agree with that. Number one, Giannis. Number one, I'm not sure we've still reached a day of where a European guy is the face of the NBA because the NBA is an American league. I'm just not sure we've hopped that hurdle yet. But we will soon see, or you all will see, because I know the real, how America still dominates. Like, and by the way, when you look at domination, you can't just also look at like, oh, this star, that star. You have to look at the whole, like the whole body of work. And if you look at the whole body of work of the US players, US-born players in the NBA right now, The superstars of the NBA and the non-superstars that are from Europe and the superstars from America and the non-superstars from America, it's not even close, the non-superstars. Like the non-superstars from Europe and the non-superstars from America isn't even close. Like actually isn't even discussion. So that also plays a part in who's superior and all this. You get like the talking heads like, Oh, I'm telling you the US-born players better watch out because Luka like, Luka is once in a generation. That's why all his stats like line up to the bronze this, this thus far in the career. Like he, he's once in a lifetime for sure. Joker Giannis for sure. But you gotta go through the whole body of work. And so I'm looking forward to that. Please stop with the, they're taking over the league and, and at the same time saying it's the worst draft in recent history because those two things are, are, They don't make sense. If I had to say who won the draft, who won the draft to me was the Minnesota Timberwolves. And the reason the Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft is because they drafted their point guard of the future in Rob Dillingham, who I think is a very special player who some of those teams at the top of the draft were afraid of. Mm-hmm. Because he got swag and he got game. And they don't know if his game is going to fit into their systems that don't work and get them fired. When you can just get a really good player who can score the basketball, Steph Curry, and figure out how the system works for him. And then all of a sudden the franchise is in territory that it's never been in before. But you know, at times we run into these guards with swag that they just don't fit in the system. And so teams run away from 'em. And there's gonna be some teams that's gonna regret passing Rob Dillingham, 'cause he's the best pure scorer in that draft. He wants to be a great pro. If you talk to the young man off the court, great young man, but y'all probably don't know that because you just judge by how he bounce around the court in his game. Very smart young man.

Yeah.

Looking for the game, want the game, want the knowledge. And now he about to go play behind Mike Conley, a young Anthony Edwards who he's about to be running mates with for the next 10 years. And I'm just not sure many backcourts gonna wanna see him and Ant-Man. Good luck. So with him and then Terrence Shannon Jr., Who had an incredible 2 years at Illinois after leaving Texas Tech, goes and have an incredible career at Illinois, falls in the draft because he gets lied on. Then he falls in the draft. Everybody run away from him. Minnesota sitting right there, 27, we'll take him. Guess what? Because the way Minnesota's roster is right now, he may help Minnesota next year more than than Rob because he's a big wing, can shoot the ball, can get downhill, get to the free throw line, and he can check. And when you got big wings that can check in this league, Jaden McDaniels, they play. By the way, they make a lot of money. So Minnesota wanted to draft me. Look what they just did. Yeah. After coming off of Western Conference Finals, look what they just did. I like it. Gotta give Tim Connelly a lot of credit. He keep doing special things. And listen, I'm a tough critic. You gotta do special things over and over again for me to be like, wow. Yeah. And I've always respected Tim because you see the work he's put in, but he just continues to snatch more and more respect. Like continues to snatch more and more respect because what he just did in that draft, like he couldn't have nailed those two picks better. So Minnesota won the draft to me. And quite frankly, Minnesota didn't need to win the draft, but they won the draft. And that's a team that's poised to try to compete for a championship and you gotta respect it.

Respect.

Gotta respect that. So shout out to Minnesota. I think Zach Edey at number 9 was a great pick by the Grizzlies. And the reason I think so is because the Grizzlies, the Grizzlies need a center. They have to have a center. Jaren's not a center. Jaren's a power forward. And when you allow Jaren to roam with a great rim protector behind him, Jaren is gonna be right back in the Defensive Player of the Year rankings next year. Because he's gonna be able to do what he's special at, get weak side blocks, roam around, plug, and that's gonna be great. And he don't have to worry about being the main rim protector. And that's gonna unlock Jaren defensively again. Zach, I also think for the Grizzlies, it's a low reward, high risk, excuse me, low risk, high reward pick. I think it's a very low risk, high reward pick because quite frankly, kid, what did he win? Back to back National Player of the Year? Like nobody's judging you for taking him with the 9th pick. Like nobody's like, oh, you shouldn't have. Like Ede's kind of that secret in the draft or not necessarily secret, but he's kind of that unknown, I would say, in the draft of where like, You don't know if his size is gonna translate. Like, do he move well enough? Quite frankly, I think what he does is gonna translate. But like, bigs in the NBA today is going back to that, is it not? Like, but if it does and you get him and he pan out, you look great. And you pair him young, you get 4 years on a low contract with now Jaren making the big money and Ja making the big money and Desmond making the big money. So I like that pick a lot. I like that pick a lot for the Grizzlies. I think he'll be ready to go right now. Senior, played for Matt Painter in the Big Ten, physical, gonna be tough, gonna know his stuff because we from the Big Ten, that's what we do. I like the pick. I like that pick a lot. And I think that pick is going to be huge for the Grizzlies and not many people is talking about it, but I really like that pick. Lakers had a very interesting pick. Dalton Connell. I thought, y'all thought I was gonna say Bronny, huh? Look, we getting to that. Hold your horses. I like that kid a lot. He's a decent athlete, can shoot the ball, got great size. Playing with that size alongside AD and Bronny, can shoot the ball and score the ball the way he can. I think JJ is going to run him off screens because that's who JJ was. So JJ's gonna be looking for that. And I think if he can come off screens, which he showed some at Tennessee, come off screens firing and turning the corner and getting downhill, I think that's very beneficial. So I like that pick for them. And then that leads us to Bronny, which—

Bronny James.

Number one, congratulations to Bronny, to Bron, Vanna, the James gang, Z, Bryce. Congrats to them. I mean, obviously we all know what Bronny went through a year ago and to be here today getting drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th pick will be the first ever father-son duo to play in the NBA. Absolutely incredible. To even, to go through that and make it back from that and be within the NBA within a year, like, is a testament to his drive and work ethic. And I actually think Bronny is going to end up being a better pro than a lot of these players in this draft because has the athleticism, has the basketball IQ, plays the game the right way. I think he's gonna be a good shooter in the NBA. And I think a lot of people judge Bronny off of his production last year at USC, which is a little skewed because A, for anybody coming back in the middle of a season and trying to play when everybody's in tip-top shape is hard. To do that as a newcomer, as a freshman, as a rookie, miss training camp, miss some of the season, and you come in, it's nearly impossible. He did it. And I think also when you look at the team that he was on, Isaiah Karya, who was a first round pick, he's a point guard, he's more of a score first point guard, getting downhill. And Bronny's a point guard playing the 2. Because Isaiah's number one pick in the class. That's how these things work. Number one, excuse me, number one player in the class coming outta high school. So he's gonna get the point guard spot and you're gonna move Bronny off the ball. And in basketball, we always tend to think like positions don't matter, but I would love to see you take a wide receiver and put him at offensive tackle or like take the center and put them at quarterback. Like I would love to see you do that. But in basketball, sometimes we like, oh, it don't matter. But if you're a true point guard and somebody take you off the ball, it matter. Ask Josh Giddy. Like when you're a true point guard and you didn't have to go play off the ball, it's different. Especially when you don't have a point guard that's feeding you. A point guard that, or even a point guard that plays the point guard position the way you play the point. And so I think some of that is being overblown, like the production at USC. I think people don't look at those things that matters. Nonetheless, I'm just gonna take the bet that this kid works hard, which he does. He has LeBron James DNA, and I'm gonna take the bet on that. Like, it, it makes sense. And then you watch him play, he's a good basketball player. I'm gonna take that bet because, A, you got him at 55. So if he even becomes a rotational player, you did great. And I think he could possibly become a rotational player in the next 2 years. So shout out to Brownie, shout out to the James gang. Absolutely incredible to see him drafted. Happy as hell for him, for them. To see that, like, it's nuts. I remember when Bron first said it 3, 4 years ago, like, "I wanna play." You like, "Man, what? Like, you ain't gonna be playing." Like, they did it. So shout out to them, man. That's super dope. As a 12-year NBA veteran, recovery is very important to me. As I continue to get a little older, the body just doesn't bounce back— the way it used to! So I'm a big fan of Hyperice, especially their NormaTec boots. What's great about the new NormaTec Elite is that they ditched all the extra hoses and control units from the old model. This one is fully self-contained with a small set of buttons to select your compression level. Super easy to travel with and get set up after a hard workout or a big game. On top of dat, the NormaTec Elite packs 4 hours of battery life. That's enough juice to get full leg compression cycles before games, after games, and even on the plane.

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And don't get me started on the tech inside this thing. Hyperice has been pioneering recovery science for years, and the brand new NormaTec Elite takes it to another dimension with 7 different compression levels to choose from. But it's not just for pro athletes. Everyone can get their hands on these to help with recovery, increasing circulation, and reducing swelling in the lower body. Shop all your warmup and recovery needs at hyperice.com. Use code Draymond for 15% off your order today Exclusions apply. Nets trade Mikal Bridges to the Knicks for 5 first-round picks, or 5 first-rounders, plus pick swaps. I was a little shocked. I was shocked because it's crazy when, so when Mikal got traded to the Nets from Phoenix, Everybody kind of knew the Nets would at some point go into this rebuild that they just went into. And so everybody was kind of talking about what they would trade for Mikael Bridges. And you hear like 4 first round picks, 5 first round picks would be like the cost of the trade. And then the Rudy Gobert trade happened. And when the Rudy Gobert trade happened, initially in the first year of it, it didn't look like it was working and everybody gives up on, things extremely fast in this day and age that we live in. And so it didn't look like it was successful. So then everybody pulled back on like the draft picks, like, whoa, like they just took too many draft picks away. That's a heist. And then it kind of reset the market. So then in turn, you see how many picks Damian Lillard got drafted for, I mean, got traded for last year, which was like 2 first round picks, I wanna say. Plus Jrue Holiday. But we knew Portland didn't necessarily want Jrue Holiday. What they wanted was the picks. They didn't flip Jrue Holiday for some players and some picks. But the market had been reset. And now with Mikal Bridges, with the Mikal Bridges trade, it's— It's different. Went right back up to the amount of picks that Rudy Gobert was traded for, strictly due to the success that the Minnesota Timberwolves just had. So they go to the conference finals, have a tough conference finals, but everybody thought for a second like, yo, this team might win the finals. And so we always talk about the copycat league and look at that in an indirect way. You see it again, the copycat league. And so— Yeah. The Knicks give up a bunch of picks. And what the Knicks essentially just did was they pretty much just said they going for it now. And I think Mikal Bridges is one of the better wing players in our league. You know, great two-way player. He defends extremely well, shoot the ball extremely well. I thought in— Draymond Green. In Brooklyn the second year, he got caught with the ball in his hands too much. And I don't think that's where he's at his best. I think he has the ball and when he has the ball, he can make plays. But I thought the ball was kind of in his hand a bit too much that second year. And I thought it hindered his play a little bit. Now he'll be back at his kind of his normal position where, you know, he catching and shooting, he catching, attacking the closeouts.

Yeah.

And I think that best suits him, allows him to play his best basketball. We know he can do something with the ball. And so it's always good to have those skills when you need to get to it. But I think he's better suited in more of it in his, like his role in Phoenix, but at a much higher volume. Like use him more, use him more within your offense for sure. But just coming down, calling for a pick and roll every time. I don't think that's where he's best suited. However, nonetheless, anyway, the New York Knicks went for it and they just mortgaged off their future saying, we got it right now. And that's been a hot topic here on the podcast during the playoffs because I told y'all, I, you know, what I thought about the New York Knicks. And I've had a bunch of New York Knicks fans come up to me over the last, Let's see, what it's been since the New York Knicks lost? Maybe a month. Over the last month, like, you were wrong about the Knicks. I was at a friend's wedding this weekend, actually in New York. And the best friend of the groom since elementary school, she's a New York Knicks fan, big time New York Knicks fan. And we had a little thing back and forth. For a while where she tried to tell me like, "You were wrong about my Knicks." I said, "Who was wrong?" And she was like, "You were wrong because blah, blah, blah." I said, "No, but the Knicks lost in the second round. So I was kind of right." And she was like, "No, such and such got hurt. And when OG Anunoby plays, we 26 and 6." Yeah. Blah, blah, blah. And this person was hurt and that person was hurt. And I said, well, I didn't necessarily say y'all were gonna be healthy or hurt. I said, I didn't think y'all would get much further. So I was right. And she went on this whole thing back and forth for a while. And like ultimately she ended up telling me I was right, which was true. Which was true. But anyway, Which brings us, you know, to this discussion. I think adding Mikal Bridges, re-signing OG Anunoby to a 5-year, $213 million contract, I think those are great things that makes that team better. And I think that team is gonna be tough 'cause they're gonna defend. We know Tibbs' teams are gonna defend. They got offensive weapons, but I ultimately don't think that team gets over the hump still. And so if the team doesn't get over the hump, say in 2 years, then everybody in the NBA get really impatient. Like, "Ah, it ain't working. We gotta make moves." And then it didn't. And then now you're looking to trade some of those guys to get some picks back in. Because you move on to where the Knicks were 4 or 5 years ago, which was 4 or 5 years away from being 4 or 5 years away. And so now the Knicks are in a space where they're going for it. And I respect it. I think, you know, you gotta go for it at some point.

Mm-hmm.

But what just happened with the trade was that, you know, if this doesn't work in 2 to 3 years, the Knicks will be rebuilding again because they traded all their picks away. And then they'll be trying to like trade those guys to get picks back in. That's kind of how it all plays out. And I'm sorry to the Knicks fans, but that's how I actually think it's gonna play out. And I don't think it's any indictment to Mikel, who I think is like, like a top tier player in the NBA. Like, you know, you got tiers, but damn good player. Jalen Brunson, who's All-NBA. Julius, who's been All-NBA. Dante, nothing but love for Dante. OG, who's a champion. It's actually no indictment on any of those guys. Like I just don't think that group is good enough to be Boston. Like ultimately you're building a team that you hope can beat Boston. And I don't think that team is going to beat Boston. So you got like a year or two, like the Houston Rockets. I don't know if y'all remember the Rockets of old when we was on our run. I always talked to y'all about them. Was they very interesting?

Yeah.

You got like 2 years and then it's like, oh, that didn't work. And Clint Capela gone. And the first domino fall. And once the first domino fall, that's it. It's going from there. And so that's what I kind of think is gonna happen. That's how I see it playing out. If it don't work, that's exactly how it will play out. So you heard it here first. Nonetheless, I think those are great moves by the Knicks. I just don't think they quite get you over the hump, which then you have to say, ah, looking down the road, But you know, I get it because if you're the front office, you gotta swing because if not, you gonna get fired. Because we play in this league that only really 4 to 5 teams wanna win. Everybody say they wanna win and then a few more than the 4 or 5 will act like they wanna win. But the reality is every year, only really 4 to 5 teams really wanna win a championship. And y'all like, everybody wanna win, I don't get that. Gonna take the time on this podcast to explain to you what I mean by that. Just know only 4 to 5 teams wanna win per year for real, doing everything they can do to win. But for some reason, coaches get fired fast like nobody's tomorrow in this league. GMs get fired after they get rid of, fire, get done firing the coach. A time or two to save their own ass. And it's all kind of like smoke and mirrors because everybody really not trying to win. So if a team go to the playoffs a couple years in a row and get to like the second round, if they get to like the second round or first round exit, second round exit, even mix in a conference finals here and there, then a year or two later, if they don't do the same thing, they get fired.

Yeah.

But they be getting fired by these teams that don't really wanna win. And so it's a very interesting dynamic in the NBA. I just been thinking about this a lot. Like why so many coaches get fired? Oh, they get fired because the GM throw them under the bus to save his ass. All right, then the GM gonna get fired shortly after that. And it's just like this ongoing cycle. But you see like all of these bad teams who really don't win the championships be the teams that's, Firing their coaches. And so in a league where that happens, that's what goes on with these teams. Everybody overreacts and it happens fast. So they got 2 years, they on the clock. New York Knicks fans. In the next 3 years, do the New York Knicks make it to the NBA Finals? Yes or no?

No.

I do not think so. No. Health is important. Health is very important. And I'll tell you now, I don't wanna see that team in the regular season because they are going to be playing harder than nobody's tomorrow. I kid you not, that team defensively is going, by the way, defensively, that team is going to be tough. Like tough, tough. And playing against a team like that during the regular season when you really don't got time to like prepare and then you go up against that defense, man, it's gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard. Like that, they would not shock me if they get a number 1 seed, number 2 seed, wouldn't shock at all. But ultimately I think, When it comes down to winning a championship, you have to have guys who can get a bucket by any means necessary on anybody. I don't care who your defensive adjustment is, who you go to, that guy gotta be able to get a bucket on him in order to carry a team to a championship. And like, they're guys you can make it tough on. And so I don't think so. That's just my opinion. I'm sorry, Knicks fans. They'll be like, "You're a hater." Like, no, I just got an opinion and that's it. Before we get outta here, we gonna talk top 5 picks. And no, not top 5 picks of the NBA draft. Top 5 second round picks, that is. Because that is important. Before we get outta here, I saw one of the funniest things on Twitter. I may start looking for these on the show. Kevin Durant, I'm gonna read it to you 'cause I don't, there's no point in me butchering it. Kevin Durant, some dude goes, SJ Basketball 8, @SJBasketball8, Says, KD, so sorry. Look at what his reputation is now, LOL. KD retweets him and go, well, check ball then. And I thought that was hilarious because so many fans think that they could just do— like, how— who are you to call Kevin Durant sorry? Like, the things that fans actually say It's crazy. So I'm gonna start calling you out on this show. And by the way, everybody gonna be like, K is sensitive, Kevin sensitive. He responded to Draymond Green, but all he said was check ball. And it's very true, by the way. You said I'm sorry. At least from the neighborhood I come from, if you say I'm sorry, check up. Like, we don't need to keep talking about it. You don't need to say how good, how sorry I am. I don't need to say how sorry back you. Check up, check bald in. I thought that was a hilarious tweet that I came across just for some of these fans who be talking crazy. So we gonna start highlighting y'all on this show. But let's get into this top 5 pick, the top 5 second rounders. My top 5 second rounders. So I'm gonna give you a list of second rounders. You got Joker, Dennis Rodman, Manu, Yours truly, Marc Gasol, Tony Kukoc, Gilbert Arenas, Paul Millsap, Chris Middleton, Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah Thomas from Washington, not old Isaiah Thomas. Mochix. Draymond Green Show Isaiah Thomas. Not that one. He didn't come on Draymond Green Show. Not Bad Boys Isaiah Thomas. That's a better way of saying it. My fault, Zeke. Doc Rivers, Jeff Hornacek, Jalen Brunson, just to name a few. I think Pascal was the end of the first round. But yeah, those are some second round picks. So my top 5, my top 5, Joker, obviously, Dennis Rodman, Manu.

Manu. Mark Gasol.

And yours truly. No question. Yeah, that would be my top 5 second round picks. I think Jalen Brunson, if he continues to play the way that he's playing, I think he has a chance to creep up there, but that's my top 5 right now. Signing off, yours truly. That's a wrap from this episode of Draymond Green Show. Congrats to all of those 58 guys that got drafted. Enjoy it. Tomorrow, it don't mean shit. You gotta go stake, gotta go put your flag in the ground, earn your spot, because they only care how long you get drafted for a day. And then we all start on an even playing field and may the best man win. And I done seen some of those top picks not win. So don't think it's a guaranteed if you up there because you got a Draymond Green coming from the 35th pick that want the spot. So good luck to all those guys. Congratulations to them and their families. This is a great day. Enjoy it. But tomorrow, lock in. Peace.

Peace.