Warriors vs Jokic & Nuggets, Lakers fire Vogel & play-in predictions | The Draymond Green Show

What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to The Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. What's up everybody? Welcome to The Draymond Green Show. This is our 21st episode and it's a big one. We're extremely excited for our guest this week. Make sure to follow my social media as well as The Volumes because where we'll drop who the guest is, trust me,— you'll wanna know right away, this is a great one. I think everybody's probably been expecting this for a while, but you know, in doing this, I, you know, you— One thing we intentionally try to do is to line the guests up strategically so it makes sense. You know, you think about different parts of the season and like where some guys would be more exciting, where you catch more insight. And so that all goes into this as well. So I hope everyone appreciate and excited about this guest. But again, you can only find out who this guest is gonna be either on my social media or the Volume social media. So you may wanna lock into both just so you don't miss this announcement 'cause we're excited. But that's not the only important thing. The regular season is over. Insane, man. My 10th NBA season. I remember walking into the NBA like a year ago or yesterday. Yeah. And not having a spot, like, and wondering like, am I gonna make the team as a second round pick? And before training camp, I signed my deal. So like, don't get it twisted, but, and just getting drafted. I mean, it was, I was drafted in June, 2012. Like, we're a month away from June, 2022. The fact that I finished 10 years in the NBA and coming in against the death sentence of being a tweener, is absolutely insane to me. And I don't take that for granted. I am extremely excited about playing in the playoffs again after, you know, Jordan Poole said to me last night, he said, "Man, big bro, it's been 2 years, huh?" I said, "And I've been starving, man." Like, it's nothing like playoff basketball. By the way, it is 9:00 AM in New Orleans. We had a good dinner last night and like, a vibe and you know, so, and I'm excited. So I hope you understand, like I hope that gives you a clear picture of how I'm feeling about these playoffs. And so going into these playoffs, Golden State Warriors were matched up against the Denver Nuggets, the 3-6 seed, which we're gonna talk about something else that has to do with the 3 seed. A little later in the show. But we have the Denver Nuggets, which I'm extremely excited about. Number one, I think in going in to play Denver, I think it's a, it's a, it's a pretty good matchup for us. Obviously they have Joker, one of the leading candidates for the MVP award, who I think will win the MVP. Not that that's my MVP choice, but I do think he will win the MVP. Mm-hmm. And also just because that's not my choice does not mean he's not deserving. He's definitely deserving. We see what the guy does. First 2,000 point, 1,000 rebound, 500 assist season in NBA history. I mean, the things that Joker is able to do on a basketball court are absolutely insane. But you got the Warriors versus the Nuggets and— Draymond Green. I'm really excited about this one. We also play, you know, hopefully only 2 games in Denver. And my brother Benny Fowler can attend the games, which that also means a lot. I think as for our listeners that's not quite as old as me, I think as you get older, you know, you start to appreciate your friends being around and how often that you have the opportunity to see your friends. So I mean, I'm extremely excited that Benny could come to the game, but also, I think when you look at the things that plays a role in a playoff series, number one, in being in the Western Conference, there are some teams that you gotta travel far, whether it's the Texas team, which is a 4-hour flight, Memphis, which is a 4-hour flight. I do have a strong appreciation for only being an hour away, hour and a half away from home. That gives you a time to adjust. I think— Draymond Green. I think one of the things in going into this matchup that people don't quite realize that plays a factor is playing in Denver with the altitude. I mean, you get out there in Denver, you're [GASPING] and you get the breathing and there's not quite any air there. That makes a difference. And I think that's also played a role over the years of why Denver has had such a home court advantage. I think that's a very big deal. So that's something. That we gotta prepare for that I know our training staff will have us prepare for. But I mean, obviously we know their offense begins and ends with Joker. You know, he makes a bunch of plays whether it's for himself, whether it's for other guys. And so obviously I think in going into it, in going into an NBA playoff game plan, you have to decide one of a couple things. You have to decide what are you willing— To give up. To lose against. Now follow me here. You have to pick and choose what you're willing to allow to beat you. And most, most time, more times than not, you're saying, I'm going to give up this and I'm willing to give up this because I think if we can stop X, that's gonna allow us to win the games and ultimately win us the series. And so I think one common thing with, with Joker, is people have to decide like whether you're gonna make him a passer, whether you're gonna make him a scorer, what are you trying to take away? And I think that's a very interesting thing. You see that all around the league. As you get into the playoffs, I always tell guys, your number one strength they take away. And as you get deeper into the playoffs, your number two strength is taken away. And that is one of the beautiful things about the playoffs. You have situations where teams are able to study guys for 7 games. As opposed to two nights ago I was studying, two nights ago I was studying for the San Antonio Spurs. And then a night ago I was studying for the New Orleans Pelicans. That's not the case in the playoffs. You have 7 games and to lock in on the scouting report, like we don't get the, we don't have the opportunity to do simply due to the schedule. And so I think that always make the playoffs more interesting. You see teams make less mistakes, you have to be more precise. And that's one thing I've been preaching to our guys. You know, we don't have a ton of playoff experience on our team. We have some guys who's won championships, myself, Kevon Looney, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson, guys who's won championships. But then you also have a bunch of guys that hasn't played a bunch of playoff basketball, if any playoff basketball at all. And so, and helping guys understand that you have to be ready to play mistake-free basketball. The team that makes the least amount of mistakes that is the team that's going to win the game. And that's what it boils down to in the playoffs. And so I think that's still something that our guys have to feel and figure out as we go. But then that's also on us to make sure guys understand and help guys along the way because that's a very important lesson in doing, in the playoffs and coming out with a win. And so I think that's for, as a leader of this team, That's important. And I'm looking forward to that because, you know, guys just haven't had that opportunity. It's a fresh thing. And how do you help bring those guys along? Because it takes some adjusting. It's not the same old NBA. It's not the same basketball. It won't be called the same. It's way more physical. And adjusting to all those things, you gotta feel it first. So I'm actually excited for our guys to feel that type of energy. I think we've had some games. Mm-hmm. Down the stretch where guys had the opportunity to feel it. But the reality is the playoffs is the playoffs and there is no simulating that. You just gotta feel it. And as you go forward, you make the necessary adjustment. I don't doubt that our guys will make that adjustment at all. So I'm looking forward to that. Last night we, or yesterday really, we figured out who the play-in tournaments would, who the, in the play-in tournament, who those matchups will be. In the East, we have the number 7 Brooklyn Nets, which— Number 7. None of us thought would be there, which probably wouldn't have been there without Kyrie being out, without KD missing a bunch of games. But that's what it is. The Lakers was in the play-in as well last year. We were in the play-in last year. The Grizzlies were in the play-in last year. And so I also want to talk about the play-in tournament in the NBA as a whole. But the first game is the number 7 Nets versus the number 8 Cavs. I have to say, I absolutely love what the Cavs has been able to do. I think they've had a little slippage there at the end of the season, but as a young team, you kind of expect that because everybody ramped their stuff up and they're still adjusting to that. I think if anybody would've told the Cavs, you be in the 8th seed with 2 chances to get in, in the play-in tournament at the beginning of the season, they would've signed right on the dotted line right away. And so I think it's great what JB Bickerstaff has done with that young squad. What Darius Garland has done leading that team, what Kevin Love has done as an OG for that young team as a champion and showing those guys what it takes and being that big brother along the way. 'Cause that always matters. So I think what those guys has done has been incredible. But I have to say, you got a one game against Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. I'm gonna take Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant for that one game. Just about every single time against most teams. And against the Cavs, I'm gonna take those two guys. They got the experience, they know what it feel like. You know, Kyrie, I tweeted the other day, Kyrie is like a, he's a big man in a guard body with a crazy handle and a torch. And I said, don't let that go over your head. And what I was saying is more so we all know Kyrie's a point guard. We know Kyrie can handle the ball like crazy. We know he can shoot. But one part of his game that I think doesn't get enough respect is how Kyrie, in his mind, he thinks differently of what you see in Kyrie the person. And that is Kyrie think he's a big man. Kyrie gonna take a guard to the rim. He gonna get a guard in the middle of the paint and throw jump hooks. He post guard, his post game is absolutely insane. And so my tweet was more so just a nod to something that I don't think he get credit for, which is absolutely crazy because I think that's a big part of Kyrie's game. Game. Now he's so skilled in other areas to where you can miss that if you don't quite know what you're watching. But I think it's absolutely insane. And so I'm definitely picking Kyrie, who's gonna feel like, "I have to beat the Cavs. I left the Cavs." Like you got that whole mental thing that go in it that y'all don't realize people think about. You got Kyrie like, "I can't lose to them. I left here." And he was probably gonna go for 40. So enjoy. That is how this thing works. That's how guys think about things. You got the number 9 Atlanta Hawks versus the number 10 Charlotte Hornets. Two good young point guards in Trae Young and LaMelo Ball. Two young up-and-coming teams in the Eastern Conference. Obviously the Hawks has some slippage and you know, they were in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. They're a non-seed in the playoffs, but anybody can get hot at this time. But I'm taking the Hawks. I'm taking the Hawks in that game. I think the Atlanta Hawks will have the best player on the floor in Draymond Green. And when you have the best player on the floor, you always have a chance to win the game. And I think Atlanta's experience, I think that gets them over the hump. And I think Dray is just gonna come out and be Dray. And when, again, you gotta win one game. You need Trae to come out and be Trae. So I think the Atlanta Hawks will take that game and then you'll have a matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cavs. And again, Trae Young, we'll, we'll see when we get there. But you got the best player on the floor. You give yourself a great chance of winning that game. So that's the Eastern Conference. And moving into the Western Conference, we got the number 7 Timberwolves versus the number 8 Clippers. Clippers. You do not wanna play against Ty Lue in one game. Ty Lue game plans are crazy. I think Ty Lue is one of the better coaches, one of the best coaches in the NBA. He does not get the credit for that. I've played against Ty Lue in NBA Finals. That's gonna be a tough game. I've played and I mean that's gonna be a very, very, very tough game for the Timberwolves. You also got the Clippers getting healthy at the right time. They just brought Norman Powell back. They just got Paul George back. And that team has been playing pretty good all year without, I mean, missing significant pieces all year. And I think a large part of that isn't due to Ty Lue's coaching ability. I think Ty Lue is an absolutely incredible coach. Paul George, we all know who Paul George is. Reggie Jackson lives for the big moment. Say what you want about Reggie, feel how you want about his game. That guy shows up in a big moment. Marcus Morris shows up in a big moment. So I have the Clippers going into Minnesota and upsetting, if you will, the number 7 Minnesota Timberwolves. I just think it's gonna happen. We'll see. I mean, you tell me what you think, but I personally don't think the Timberwolves is going to beat the Clippers. Now, in saying that, you have the number 9 Pelicans versus the number 10 Spurs in the last, in the second matchup of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. And in that matchup, I have the Pelicans winning. I think CJ McCollum's playoffs experience is going to help. You got Jonas Valanciunas, uh, guys who's has some significant playoff experience. Brandon Ingram, who's just a young stud, not much playoff experience, but a young, if any playoff experience at all, but a young stud who I think is gonna show up on this stage. And so I'm taking the Pelicans in that game. And then in my opinion, you're gonna have the Pelicans versus the Timberwolves. And I think the Timberwolves will take that game and ultimately get in as the AC. So. Yeah. That's my thoughts on the play-in tournament. I'm excited to see how those matchups turn up, turn out. I think one thing you can watch in the Nets and Cavs series is you wanna watch Kyrie. Kyrie's the guy to watch in the matchup with Darius Garland. Kyrie versus one of the young guys. The young guy wanna win. Kyrie, kind of that big brother gotta hold it down. So I think that's the matchup to watch in that game. And the Hawks and Hornets, I mean, who else you watching? Probably Trae Young and LaMelo. That's the matchup to watch. And man, I don't know if y'all watched that Knicks series last year between Atlanta Hawks and the Knicks, but you got Trae Young in those types of environments. Trae Young got that little man syndrome. He got that, like he's going after guys. And so I enjoy watching Trae in these situations and I think Trae comes out on top. So I think that's the matchup to watch there. At some point throughout the game, you're going to see Patrick Beverley on Paul George. And I think that's an important matchup to watch. You got Patrick Beverley pissed off that the Clippers traded him. Now you're going into their house. Patrick Beverley, I mean, he started yesterday. I don't know if y'all saw Patrick Beverley telling the official that he's terrible last night. He was already in character. Draymond Green last night. So that's gonna be something to watch as the game go on. I'm not sure Patrick Beverley will guard Paul George the entire game, but I think that's a matchup to watch. And then you got Carl Towns versus Zubac. Now, thing about Carl Towns and Zubac is Carl Towns is a star player. Zubac is not. The star player gonna get plenty opportunities to score the basketball. What you want to watch in that matchup is not if Karl Towns ends up with 25 points. You wanna watch if Karl Towns dominates his matchup or not, because that's what Karl Towns should do. That's what Karl Towns probably will do. We'll see. But, um, that, I think that's an important one to watch as well. It's, can Zubac have a good game and contain Towns? Do they have to go small? You see Serge Ibaka got traded during the year. This would probably been a good matchup for Serge Ibaka who can guard, who can step out and guard the 3. That's a tough matchup for Zubac. So I think that's something that you want to check out and thinking of, and then how, what type of X factor can Norman Powell be? I think he's only been back for 2 games, but that's a big deal for the Clippers. So that's some things to watch in that game. And then the Pelicans versus Spurs, we got DeJounte Murray, versus CJ McCollum. CJ with the experience, DeJounte coming into his own. DeJounte been out as of late, you know? So seeing if he can get that groove back. I know he struggled last night a little bit against Dallas. So seeing if he can find that rhythm, that's a big deal. And so you got CJ, DeJounte going into CJ's new home. CJ's looking to make that mark and really win this fan base over. So that's the matchup you gotta see. I think the first round matchup— that I am most excited about when I look throughout the playoffs. It's one that's not even official yet, but it's one that I think is going to happen. And that is the Los Angeles Clippers versus the Memphis Grizzlies. That is a very, very, very exciting first round matchup. And again, I think the Clippers will win their first, their first play-in game and get in. And that's the matchup that I'm most excited about. Now, if it don't come to fruition, you check out my Twitter and I'll let y'all know what matchup I'm most excited about if that one doesn't happen. But that's the one I'm most excited about because it's a good matchup. Again, you got Ty Lue, the mastermind, coming in and putting his game plans together. You got a young, um, a young Memphis team. You had a real scrappy, tough Clippers team. How does Memphis adjust to that? This is a new situation for them. And so that's one that I'm really excited about if it come to fruition. If it don't, if the Clippers lose this first game, check my Twitter and I'll let you guys know who I'm most excited about to watch in the first round because I don't give it to you here. I'm giving you who the matchup I'm excited to see if it happens. So, uh, I mean, that's— Yeah. That's kind of my thoughts on the way the playoffs shook out. One last thought, the Dallas Mavericks decided to compete or play their guys in hopes that we will lose and they will get the number 3 seed. Luka Dončić goes down with an injury. That's always the risk that you take. I hope and I pray that Luka is ready for the playoffs. You never wanna see a guy go down. We worked so hard for this moment. Like you worked so hard just to get to this moment. Yeah.— to see a guy go down the night it ends for the new beginning is brutal. So I hope he's okay, but that's something to watch. And then you ask yourself the question, like, was it worth it? They needed us to lose to a Pelicans team that wasn't playing anyone. So then you go check and you like, what is the likelihood of that happening? And so you start to run all those things back in your head. And the reality is— Yeah. No one in playing basketball, you just can't beat yourself up like that because you can walk outside and turn your ankle on a rock. And so like, no one thinks like that, but it's tough. And we know what Luka means to the league, but more importantly to his team. And so that's interesting. We'll see how that develops as the week go on. But that's something to keep your eye on. 'Cause obviously as we know, That's a very big deal. Does he miss game 1? Does he miss the first 2 games? Is he fine? Is he a little hobbled? What happens there? I think that's very interesting. And again, you have to ask yourself, was it worth it? Could you, you didn't control your own destiny. So. I think also when you look at the season that the Los Angeles Lakers had and we, you know, a lot of people, by the way, a lot of people, I mean, there were people that said the Los Angeles Lakers was going to win a championship. If this is what you do, you say you're great and you're expert analyst and you picked the Los Angeles Lakers to win championship, you kind of gotta be fired. And, and somebody gotta start holding people accountable. 'Cause you like, you are so far off from being right. And you gotta think about it. There's 10 teams that's currently still alive in each conference. 20 teams total. There's 30 teams in the NBA. You picked that they'd be the number 1 team. They're not even 21 or 20. You're like, you're so far off in any other job. If you're that far off, could you imagine being an analyst for a venture firm or an analyst like on Wall Street or something and you're that far off? Like you lose your job. Like somebody gotta start holding people accountable for these hot takes that they expert. Yeah. Accurately, if you will, analyze. I think that's utterly ridiculous. And those people that did that, you have to answer, um, because you just can't be that far off. That's ridiculous. Nonetheless, as a basketball fan or as a basketball player, if you're looking at the situation, uh, with the Los Angeles Lakers, you end up with so many questions like, I think the way that it's turned out now is like you see all these stories coming out about Russell Westbrook. You see like all these stories coming out about Frank Vogel. Frank Vogel in the press conference yesterday said, I have not heard shit. Excuse my language. I haven't been told shit or something of that nature that he said. And I mean, as a player or coach, you see that. It's a bit frightening because you then put yourself in those shoes and you like, would I be treated like that? And it's not just the Los Angeles Lakers. Like, I think that happens all over the course of sports, especially, I mean, it happens in the NBA obviously, but it happens all through sports. And you have to begin, like, you have to stop and think like, would I be treated like that if something don't go right? For me in a situation like that. And that's a tough thing to get over because ultimately you're coaching to get fired, you're playing to get traded, you're playing to get waived, or like at some point throughout your career, these are things that happen in this sport. And so for as long as you can protect against that, you try to. And that's one of those things that you, you just, you look at and you as a player or a coach, you cringe. Like, Because your biggest fear and worry is to be to be that guy in that situation that is like catching all of that blame and catching all of that heat. So I think that's something like you really have to question or even think about from our perspective, because ultimately you're looking for security, you're looking for like acceptance to be who you are and do the job. And so— Yeah. That's an interesting one. One that makes me cringe for myself because I just, you just hope and pray that you're never in that situation. Yet the inevitable is most of us end up in that situation at some point or another. Russell Westbrook is an MVP. He's ending up in the situation. If Russell Westbrook an MVP and he's end up in this situation, most of us end up in it. So I think that's a tough one and it's one that we all try to protect against, but ultimately, It's usually inevitable. We'll see how that plays out. But that's my thoughts on the play-in tournament. That's my thoughts on the matchups of the NBA playoffs. I hope you all enjoyed the regular season. I think it's been a great one. A lot of changes happened over the season and now it's time. It's time for Draymond to start shooting 40% from 3 'cause that's what I do. So playoff Draymond, we here. That's it. That's a wrap. Talk to y'all soon. Again, make sure you check out on social media who this guest is this week, 'cause it's going to be a great one. Until then, that's a wrap. Draymond Green Show, I'm out. Peace.