Draymond Green and callers rank Eastern Conference contenders, with Boston still on top but the Knicks emerging as a threat after acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns. The panel debates whether Towns and Jalen Brunson's pick-and-roll can overcome Boston's defensive versatility, while injury concerns drop the 76ers down the rankings.
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Do you think the Celtics will come back outta the East again? Last time team repeated, I'm just saying, I ain't, you know, no pun intended, was 2017, '18.
He does, baby, he does.
Draymond Green, you know, that's what we got going. Do you think the Celtics will be the team to come outta the East? You know, the Knicks made their moves, Philly made some moves. What you thinking of moves? Who you got coming out the East?
You know, I played for the Knicks, so I'm rocking with the Knicks. I gotta say the Knicks gonna come out the East this year. I feel like, I think the Karl-Anthony Towns trade allows them to match up with Boston with Al Horford at the 5 or Porzingis at the 4. You know, like you can use KAT and, in that, you know, trail 5 position. You got OG, you got Bridges, you know, Jalen Brunson, and then a bunch of scrappy dudes like Josh Hart. He gonna play hard, he gonna make big shots. But I think having KAT coming into that trail 5, now you can't double Brunson. Brunson is one of the best post-up guards, you know, in the league.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
And him down below the free throw line is dangerous for any guard. So, you know, I think it's a great matchup because they do have guys who can defend a Jayson Tatum, who can defend a Jaylen Brown, you know, and, you know, I think Jaylen, you know, I think Jaylen Brunson is probably one of the most difficult people I've seen. Nobody can guard this dude, man.
I mean, Jaylen Brunson is damn good. I think in order to guard Jaylen though, you just have, you have to put size on him. Like you can't, like to think that you're gonna put a guard his size or smaller on him, you're not gonna speed him up.
Right.
So if a smaller guard not gonna speed him up, then they have no chance 'cause he's just gonna use his body, gonna get the spots raised up over him. So I think in order to guard Jaylen Brunson, you have to guard him with size. Sometimes that may not even be a guard. Like I told you, I've said before, when we played the Mavericks, when Jalen Brunson was there, right before he left to New York, I guarded him that series. Like, because he would just, he wanted to get to that middie, you know what I'm saying? He wanted to get into the paint, body you. And so I can take the shoulders, like that's what we do in the post, like.
Yeah.
So I can take, so I guarded him. Like, you have to guard him with size.
Yeah.
If you do have size on him, then the Cat and Jalen Brunson pick and roll, you can switch.
Yeah.
I also think the problem that, and I think you tripping, they don't have a chance at beating the Celtics. And the problem that they're gonna have is the Celtics defensively, Al Horford, I'm telling you, people don't often get Al Horford. He's great. Al Horford is going to give Cat some trouble.
Like— Oh, big time.
Al Horford defensively, man, especially come playoff time. He may not care all season, but come playoff, Al Horford is going to give KAT fits. The Boston Celtics also have a lineup where they can switch Jayson Tatum on the KAT. They can switch Jrue Holiday on the KAT. They can switch Jaylen Brown on the KAT.
Why do you think that? 'Cause he play, 'cause he just pick and pop.
Yeah, he pick and pop and by the time he walked down to the post, those guys have so much length. Like they have so much length to where they may not have the girth. Although Jrue Holiday, I bet you can guard Cat in the post. Like Jrue Holiday.
Yeah, I don't put nothing past Jrue Holiday.
That's a Bruin, by the way.
You know, Bruins can do all things.
I ain't going that far, but like, I think, I know for sure that Boston will be able to guard them. And so with that being said, I just don't think they're going to be able to guard Boston because JB got a check. Cat, you got a check. Like everybody on Boston is a threat. Like, and so you can't have—
Everybody, yeah.
You can't have weak links on your defense.
Or lasses.
Yeah, and I'm not saying Cat is a weak defender. I'm not saying JB are weak defenders. I'm saying they better come in locked in and focused if they going, if they think they're gonna compete with that team. And me personally, I like the Knicks, but I don't think they can compete with the Boston Celtics. I just don't think so.
What about the Sixers or anybody else? I mean, who, who do you think? Okay, so it's Boston. Who do you think is 2, 3, and 4 in the East?
Okay, I got Boston, I got the Knicks. And by the way, I'll even go a step further. The Knicks may end up even being the number one seed because sometimes you can come off a championship and the Knicks gonna come out hungry trying to win every game. And Boston, sometimes you just trying to get back to the playoffs and you may drop a couple here and there. So that could happen. That's true. Nonetheless, the best teams in the, in the East will be Boston, Mm-hmm. I think the Knicks will ultimately be better than Philly.
Okay.
Orlando.
Ooh.
And then I think you have Indiana.
Ooh.
Oh man, I forgot about Milwaukee. Let me rewind. Boston's the best team.
All right, yeah, exclude Boston.
So next—
Then you got Milwaukee.
Sixers. I'm sorry.
I'm taking Milwaukee.
Then the Knicks.
No, Knicks, Milwaukee. Knicks, Milwaukee.
Sixers.
Magic. No, not Sixers. Knicks, Milwaukee.
Wait, you know you ain't rolling with the Sixers?
Uh-uh.
I'm gonna tell you why in a second.
Yeah.
Knicks, Milwaukee, Magic, Pacers.
Uh-huh.
And then I'll roll with the Sixers. Sixers will be in fit for Sixers.
What about the Heat?
The Heat will be in the play-in.
Cleveland?
I think Cleveland has a chance to be one of those teams.
One of those 4, 4 or 5.
They have a chance, but they're gonna have to figure it out fast. And you know, they got a new coach. I think Kenny's gonna do great. I'm just not sure how fast they can figure it out, but the East is tough, man. But in saying that, Yeah, my problem with the Sixers is they already hurt and we know they struggle with injury.
Who's hurt?
Joel. I keep hearing Joel knee not good at all.
Oh damn.
PG now dealing with the knee hyperextension and Joel and probably not PG ain't playing back-to-backs. So you giving those games away.
Yeah.
And them teams, you gonna need them wins. And so that's why I don't think—
Especially the Boston, yeah.
For sure. So that's why I don't think Philly's gonna be in the top 4 or 5. They could be 5, 5 or 6, but I don't think they are going to be up there at the upper echelon of them East teams.
I don't see it.
I do like Indiana. I like Indiana. They play hard. They got good guard play. They play defense. I like Indiana.
Yeah, I like Indiana as well.
I like them over, and I do like Orlando, that's my boy Jamal Mosley, but I do like Indiana a little bit more than I do Orlando.
But that Paolo, he sick. He something else.
And they brought in a guy like KCP. I think that's gonna help.
Oh yeah, they got KCP, that's gonna help them.
I think that's gonna help them a lot.
They still need a point guard though.
They do, they do. I think Jaylen Suggs is a backup.
Yeah, or a good combo guard, you know what I mean, to start.
But they definitely need, maybe they, yeah. What you think gonna happen in Atlanta, bro?
It's over for Atlanta. Okay.
It's a wrap.
They at the number 1 pick.
Yep, they might have the number 1 pick again.
Damn. Damn.
It's over for Atlanta, chat.
Youngboy about to get paid though, Jaylen.
Draymond Green, they better pay the young boy.
Oh yeah, he nice.
That kid is nice. He gonna be all right.
I mean, that's the East, but you know, getting out the West ain't gonna be easy either, man.
