In this YouTube conversation, Draymond Green and former NBA guard Baron Davis break down the Los Angeles Lakers' newly announced "Big 3"—LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and point guard Austin Reeves—examining how Luka's playstyle meshes with LeBron's pace, the creative potential of the trio, and the supporting role players needed for success. The dialogue then shifts to a recent trade controversy: the Lakers' attempt to acquire Mark Williams to replace Anthony Davis fell apart after Williams failed his physical, prompting the Charlotte Hornets to protest the rescinded deal. Green and Davis speculate on why the physical was not passed, the possible hidden injuries, and the broader implications for the franchise. Finally, they discuss the collateral damage to a young player, Darnell Connect, whose career could be jeopardized by the trade reversal and the uncertainty surrounding his future, emphasizing concerns about confidence and professional development.
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LeBron posted a picture of the new Big 3 in LA, Luka, Draymond Green, and Reeves. What is your first impression on the new Lakers with Luka?
It's cracking out here. 'Cause you got 2 LeBrons.
Yeah.
Luka rebound, he pass the ball, right? Obviously it, you know, The game, it was a blowout. But just to know that Luka got all the little Luka magic things.
Yeah.
And it's cracking. Like he was missing some of them shots, some of them air ones, you know, missing some passes. Oh man, once this dude lock in, you think about same thing with Steph and Jimmy. LeBron goes out the game, now you gotta worry about Luka. And Luka's pace is much slower than LeBron's. And so when you match their pace together and then you include Austin Reeves, who been playing stellar at the point guard position.
Mm-hmm.
Right? He just, he been doing whatever he want. Score, get to the hole, shoot the 3. And now he's starting to really find reason and make the right plays, the right assists. JJ Redick got him rolling. They got some potency. You know, they got a three-headed monster in LA and they all are creative. And so you powered up in the backcourt, you powered up in like your backcourt or frontcourt. It's really about the other guys that's on the floor for the Lakers who gonna do the hustling, the scrapping, you know, getting deflections, getting offensive rebound, putbacks. But you ain't gotta worry about too much. The way I'm looking at how this Laker thing gonna shake out, 'cause with Luka, you ain't gotta ask for too much for too many people. Give me 5, give me 7. I need, you know, I need Hachimura, I need 11 from you. Like you ain't asking for much and you gonna be wide open.
That's true.
What more could you say about Luka? And they gave him a name out here in LA. They call him Luka. Luka. The Crips done already locked in.
Definitely.
All right, Luka.
Over the weekend involving the Los Angeles Lakers, who they were trying to fill AD's glaring hole that he left behind with Mark Williams. Failed the physical and they said not because of his back that sidelined him most last season, but because of multiple other issues of concern, sources said. Hornets are protesting the trade being rescinded. They are, the Hornets are protesting the trade being rescinded.
Right.
What is your reaction to this whole debacle?
This is like Watergate. It's like old school Watergate. This is like when they was messing up the voting polls. Something is not right. This is tricky. Okay, I just dealt you a player knowing damn well he don't pass the physical, but he just played 2 games ago.
Absolutely.
So that's tricky. Meaning, hey Charlotte, you may be prone to some type of investigation on your damn own, right? Depending on what Mark Williams said. Now, the Lakers, how do you not pass a physical in the middle of the season when you're already playing? What are the Lakers qualifications? And so the Lakers may have had cold feet.
Okay.
And knowing that 'Ah, he didn't pass.' Like, it could be anything. It could be anything, bro. It could be anything. It could be a sprained finger. It could be an oxygen slaughter. Remember that?
Hap mood.
Oh, he got oxygen slaughter. Nope, he don't pass the physical. So who knows what type of injury or back injury or whatever it is. Um, but it, you know, we all play. I played with herniated disc, uh, my whole career and, you know, it is a problem. So it's gonna be tricky to see how this all unfold, but it's definitely a, a, a unsolved mystery. And the cold part about it is The player's gotta go back to the teams that just traded them. And now you gonna ask them to perform for you for the rest of the year. So what are you gonna do? Especially if you don't connect. Like if you don't connect, what do you, what, what it, how do you feel?
If you don't connect, you have to do your best job to be the best professional you can.
Yep.
If you don't connect lawyer, you have, excuse me, if you don't connect agent, You have to have your client's best interest at heart, come to something. Like, I don't know how he walks back into that locker room as a shooter and be like, "Oh yeah, now you gonna put me in this game and I'm about to go shoot that thing." Like, I mean, hopefully he can break down.
That's how—
Because this can, like, going through something like this can really like derail this kid's career.
Yeah.
Like, it could do that because it could kill his confidence. Like, And when you lose confidence in this league, you don't get it back. And so this could really derail, this could really derail Darnell Connect's career. It's tough. I got, Mark Williams is one thing, but Darnell Connect, he was hoping. Like they just like, go ahead, bro. Like.
Yeah.
And apparently he was gonna be in the AD trade. So they kind of was just off him anyway from what it sound like. So his, and then now you gotta go back there?
That's tough. He gotta go back. He gotta go back and kill.
That's tough.
He gotta go back and kill. Gotta try to kill. Well, he gonna be open. He gonna be open. He definitely gonna be. He gonna be wide open. That's what Luka out there. So, you know, make a name for yourself. Take advantage of the opportunity. If you gonna hoop, hoop. But like Draymond say, you gotta make sure now that you know, that you are a disposable piece to the Lakers, and you should be, you gotta look out for your own best interest. Mm-hmm.
