Draymond Green reflects on the Warriors' 120-110 win over Dallas that sent them to the 2022 Finals. He credits the veteran core guiding younger players like Andrew Wiggins, whose lockdown defense on Luka Dončić helped limit the Mavericks. Green calls Wiggins' dunk on Dončić a career moment, even though an offensive foul call took away from it.
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Cubs beat the Mavericks last night, 120 to 110. Headed back to our 6th Finals appearance in 8 years with my, along with myself, Klay, Steph, Loon, Andre, Coach Kerr, Bob Myers, Joe Lacob. I'm naming guys that's been here through all of it, you know, and I must say this one, it feels totally different. Although it hasn't truly set in yet, it just, I feel more gratitude, more appreciation for this moment. You know, I think when going through it before, you're just kind of looking at it like, all right, we in the finals now and now it's time to do that. You know, now after missing the playoffs for 2 straight years and understanding that this isn't guaranteed and understanding how hard it is truly to accomplish I feel more gratitude and more appreciation for the moment. And it doesn't make it better than the others. 'Cause like I said last night, you just, you appreciate the journey for each one of these things. You know, you appreciate the day to day, how just how tough, you know, it is. More so than getting the actual trophy and lifting the trophy up. Like, the lifting the trophy up is cool, but it's the process that you appreciate the most. And that's kind of where I'm at with this. And like I said, although it hasn't truly set in yet, to do that with this group of guys— This is a totally different team. Yes, we have the guys I named, but it's a totally different group of guys. I mean, you look at the guys who contributed last night. Kevon Looney contributed last night in a major way. Kevon Looney contributed before, but not at this level. I mean, the way Looney is playing right now, absolutely amazing. Andrew Wiggins. New on these runs. Moses Moody, new on these runs. Namaiah Bealisa, new on these runs. You know, and you continue to go down the list. There's, you know, Otto Porter was out, new on this run. Gary Payton was out, new on this run. Jonathan Kuminga, new on this run. Juan, new on this run. And the list goes on and on and on. Jordan Poole, new on this run. And so this is a totally different team. And to get this team back there is special because it's also the first time we're truly doing this from a position of leadership. Like, was I a leader before? Yes. Was Steph a leader before? Yes. Was Klay a leader before? Yes. But we weren't the OGs, we weren't the vets. We had our vets, Andre, Shawn, David West, Zaza, Barbosa. We had David Lee, Bogut. We had our vets along the way and we were the young guys. And so to now do this again as the vets, showing the young guys how it's done, that's— that's what feels so special. Yeah. Because we, like I said, we had our stint as the young guys and now it's our stint as the guys who's really showing everybody the way. Everybody said we were done. It was over. Time to break it up. Trade this guy, trade that guy. I absolutely love Collin, but I gotta talk about Collin Cowherd for a second. Collin Cowherd said if Steph Curry ever wanted to play in the NBA Finals again, that he had to leave. Go to state. No disrespect to Colin, because that was the message from everybody in the sports world. Everyone thought that, everyone said that. And so the appreciation is just different. We won 15 games 2 years ago. I felt that, I went through that. You know, we lost in a play-in game last year. I felt that, I went through that. And so we're playing tournament. So this one just feels a little different. How did we do it? Andrew Wiggins was absolutely incredible guarding Luka Dončić. Everyone who switched on Luka did all we can to make it tough. Now in saying that, what did Luka average on the series? 32, 33 points, possibly more. 35. You're never going to completely shut a guy like that down. But if you can make it tough on him, if you can take some of the things that he normally gets to away, you have to live with those results. And I think we did a very good job of that. And I guess they just miss shots that they normally make, as Jason Kidd said, you know, like, Now, the way Jason Kidd put it, I'm not sure our defense had much to do with it. I thought one thing was interesting that Jason Kidd said when he said the biggest compliment that we could receive is that they can't guard us one-on-one. I thought the biggest compliment that we received is with our zone, which they struggle with. All series except for game 4. I thought the biggest compliment for our zone is that their one adjustment they came up with only worked for one game. That's what I thought of our whole thing. I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about Andrew Wiggins' dunk. Dunking on someone is incredible. You get, you know, momentum. It just feel good to dunk on somebody. But to dunk on Luka, that's a different, that's a different thing. You know, that's like, it's one thing to dunk on somebody that's great, but when you dunk on one of the guys, like, like Luka, as we all know, Luka one of them ones, he one of the guys. Like, when you get to, when you can dunk on one of the guys, it's like, —much, much bigger. And such an incredible dunk. I hate that it was, the play was stopped by the offensive foul call. And although it's, you know, we still got the 2 points and the dunk counted, it just sucks that those emotions weren't able to be felt right then during that game. Like once the review happens and it counts and all of that, Like, that's cool, but it's not the same emotion than when, when a dunk just happened. Like, if Luka has to get up off the floor and dribble the ball up and Wiggins is picking him up full court, like, that's a totally different thing and that's a totally different emotion. And so it kind of sucks that the play just didn't go on and you didn't get to feel that emotion, what that dunk should have brought. But nonetheless, it is a highlight. It's one that'll probably be the biggest hot/top highlight on Andrew Wiggins' career highlights. Absolutely amazing. We've been telling Wigs, asking him for years, Wigs, when you go to the hole, just try to dunk. Like, we don't care if you make it or miss it. 9 times outta 10, if you try it, he jumps so high and the pogo stick. 9 times outta 10, you're probably going to make it or get fouled. And he's attacking the rim aggressively like that. And man, that was an incredible play. And I had a front row seat better than anyone else in that arena. It was beautiful to see. Draymond Green.
