In this conversational YouTube segment, Draymond Green and former NBA guard Baron Davis break down the Western Conference first-round matchups for the 2025 NBA playoffs. They start with the 3‑seed Los Angeles Lakers facing the 6‑seed Minnesota Timberwolves, debating key matchups such as LeBron James versus Julius Randle, the potential impact of a small‑ball Lakers lineup featuring Rui Hachimura, Luka Dončić, and Finney‑Smith, and the role of Rudy Gobert’s rim protection. The duo assess the Wolves’ chances, concluding that Minnesota’s odds are slim unless they can neutralize the Lakers’ size advantage. The conversation then shifts to the 4‑seed Denver Nuggets versus the 5‑seed Los Angeles Clippers. Green and Davis identify Nikola Jokić as the Nuggets’ primary difference‑maker, but emphasize the importance of Russell Westbrook (and Aaron Gordon) as defensive X‑factors against the Clippers’ stars James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George. They also discuss the coaching dynamic, highlighting the challenge a rookie Clippers head coach would face against veteran Lakers coach Ty Lue. Throughout, the hosts intersperse humor, repeated phrases, and speculative “what‑if” scenarios while delivering concrete predictions: the Lakers are favored to win in five games, and the Clippers are expected to take the series in six, largely due to bench depth and defensive versatility.
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Moving over to the Western Conference, we got the 3-seed Lakers versus the 6-seed Timberwolves. The Wolves seek to get revenge against Luka Dončić. Obviously, Luka's with Dallas last year. Dallas beat the Timberwolves in the conference finals. What does Ant-Man have to do to get the Timberwolves a chance to beat the Lakers?
Bean pies, french fries, Mob ties, Lakers in 5.
There's nothing Ant-Man can do.
Wow. Beach vibes.
Wow.
That's crazy. Hell no, hell no.
Wow.
Hell no.
That's crazy.
No, not at all. I mean, Julius, it's really about Julius Randle than about Anthony Edwards.
You said Anthony gonna do what he do anyway.
I think Ed gonna have a good series, you know, Ed's a superstar, so he gonna get caught up in, you know, superstar performances. But what is Julius Randle gonna do? And do Julius Randle hate the Lakers and feel like he can dominate that game?
I think the matchup to watch, and it's crazy to say this, the matchup to watch, but you just spoke on Julius, but the matchup for me is Bron versus Julius because the way Bron plays today isn't the way he played before with this new Laker team. And so he gonna put Julius in a lot of actions and make Julius have to guard. And I know early in the year, that was kind of the knock on the Timberwolves was that could they get Julius to guard? And I think he picked it up on that side of the ball. But now Bron is going to try to expose Julius on the defensive end. And so I think that's gonna be important. I also think you could see the Lakers go small and put the T-Wolves in a bind on, you know, with Rudy Gobert if the Lakers decide to go small and they go Rui, Luka, Finney-Smith, Bron, Reeves.
But Minnesota can match that.
They can match it, but then Rudy Gobert gotta come off the floor though. And then you lose rim protection. So I think the lineup could cause the Timberwolves a problem if the Lakers are making shots. Because if Finney-Smith's making shots, Rui's making shots, that could cause them some issues if they go small. So I don't, I think, you know, that's where some of the issues could come in that series. But you got the Lakers at 5, respect. All right, Nuggets, 4 seed versus the Clippers, the 5 seed. Who on the Nuggets has to be the difference maker in this series? Obviously Jokic's gonna be Joker. Jamal's healthy. I think Chris Dunn is a hell of a defender, so I think, you You know, know, he can possibly make it hard on Jamal, but who has to be the difference maker for the Nuggets in this series to beat the Clippers?
One, I rock it with the Clippers in 6. Westbrook, Bron, and Michael Porter.
Okay.
Those 3 dudes have to step up, score the basketball, rebound the basketball, and have to defend. 'Cause you know, Michael Porter, he gonna have to play some defense 'cause he's gonna be out there guarding somebody who can score the basketball or guard somebody that's attacking the rim like Derrick Jones who attacked the rim on offensive glass. Like who's gonna guard Kawhi is the question. And then who's gonna guard James and— Draymond Green. I feel like Zubac, you know, nobody can guard Joker, but I feel you got a big body in Zubac that can make Joker work on the defensive end too. Especially how the way the Clippers play and they play sometimes through Zubac. So I like the Clippers in 6. I think the bench is gonna be the biggest determining factor in this series because you know, both teams use their bench, both teams now have a little bit more bench depth. But I'd say talent, overall talent, and the way they're playing, I gotta give that to the Clippers versus Denver with, you know, a first-time coach coming into the playoffs and everybody is still in shock. Like, what the fuck happened?
It's crazy. I was just about to say, here's where you're gonna miss Mike Malone. 'Cause you're going up against Ty Lue.
Mm-hmm.
Who is as good as it comes.
One of the best in the business.
Yep. Absolutely. And a coach that's coached 4 games as a head coach or whatever it is, and is now about to face Ty Lue in a playoff series. That's tough.
Yeah.
And so in saying that, I think that makes a big, big, big difference in this series. And one of the key things I think in this series is going to be, you just mentioned them, but you really need Russell Westbrook in this series because you're gonna need Russell Westbrook defensively in this series. Russell Westbrook is the one guy that Denver has that I think they can throw at James or Kawhi and he can cause some havoc. You know, like you're not stopping either one of those guys. Like they are superstars for a reason. But Russ, I think, can cause some havoc. And so that's important. I think Russ is the, for sure, X factor in the series. And so that's what I'll be watching in that series.
And Aaron Gordon, for that matter, right?
Absolutely.
I say the Russ-Aaron Gordon tandem for defense, rebounding, like, how well they play on the defensive end is going to really be the determining factor for the Nuggets.
Absolutely.
Like you need Bron offense, you need Michael Porter offense, you need Russ offense, 'cause they're gonna make, they're gonna dare Russ to shoot. Like we know Ty Lue, he dares people to shoot. They will say, hey, put the ball, In the player with the lowest percentage hands later in the shot clock. So Russ is gonna have a lot of opportunities to make plays, to score the basketball. On the other side, I mean, Russ has to play at a high, high level, right? And not saying that Joker or Jamal Murray, I just think if you get something that is where Russ capacity could be, then You know, he has a chip on his shoulder playing against the Clippers as well. I just think the Clippers are gonna win in 6. You got James Harden, you got Powell, you got offensive firepower. Kawhi is back, right? Dunn is hitting shots, Derrick Jones is hitting shots, Bogdanovich off the bench. They have a machine. Right, they have a machine and they are versatile. They can play small ball, they can play big too.
That part.
It's a great matchup. Who you taking?
Yeah, it's a great matchup. I don't know, man. I'm, it's hard to go against the Clippers when you're about to put a 3-game 10-year head coach up against Ty Lue. I think that alone is just gonna be,—
the factor.
Huge. Like almost impossible to overcome. Nah, I think that's impossible to overcome.
That's tough.
That's tough for a head coach who's been doing this for years. One that's been doing it for 3 games, that's tough for me. So I think just that reason alone, it's hard to go against the Clippers and they're playing, obviously they're playing great basketball, Talu alone. I mean, I don't know David Adam in that world. I know he not Talu.
Right.
Can he possibly be one day? I don't know. I don't know assistant coaches like, but I know he ain't Talu right now.
