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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: WARRIORS VS SPURS

May 18, 2017

Draymond Green

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. How is the team managing the pressure of the game coming up and the energy?
DRAYMOND GREEN: Obviously their team's going down 0-2, they're going to come out with a lot of energy. Especially a team like the Spurs, who never quit. At the end of the day, they're going to go in with the mindset that they feel like if they take care of their home court, it's a series. So, we've obviously been here before. We know what it takes to go win on the road. It's just about us. Playing our brand of basketball, sticking to the game plan. I think if we play our brand of basketball, we'll be just fine.

Q. What's your reaction to being on the All-NBA Team?
DRAYMOND GREEN: I think anytime you're on the All-NBA Team, it's special. It's something that you grow up as a kid always dreaming and hoping that that could happen. It's definitely special. It's not something that I take for granted, being considered one of the top 15 guys in this league. There are a lot of great players in this league, so it's definitely something.

Q. You talked about trying to set that standard on where teams or people are just not valuing just the scorers. Going out there and doing the dirty-work things that are not so flashy and still being, like you said, one of the top 15 in the league. Do you think you're headed on that path?
DRAYMOND GREEN: I think I'm definitely headed in the right direction. I'm not going to act like I'm the only one doing it. There are other guys in the league doing it as well. But I think I'm definitely headed in the right direction. Just got to continue to work and continue to try to create that lane.

I think it's been good so far, but I think there's more work to be done. Just want to continue to get better and keep trying to just move the needle.

Q. Do you think the NBA Awards being announced during the playoffs is more preferable to you, or do you like it at the end of the regular season?
DRAYMOND GREEN: I think just like any situation there are positives and negatives to it. At this point, you know every award usually. That's what you're accustomed to, so obviously the first time you say, oh, man, I liked it the other way. One, you don't know yet. Number two, no one wants to change until they actually see that change is good. So as of right now, obviously we'd like to know.

Then I think say if you're foreigner who is done in April and you want to go home and you have to come back for an award show for a day or two. So there are positives and negatives to it.

But I think it will be a great show. Obviously with the NBA, they do a great job with things like that. I know it's being produced by Dick Clark [Productions], who does an amazing job with the Academy Awards and Golden Globes and all those things. So I think it will be a great show. It's not really something you can appreciate until it actually happens and you experience it.

Q. What have you learned about David West after playing with him for a season?
DRAYMOND GREEN: Oh, man. One of the best teammates I've ever had. He's a special person. I didn't know he could pass as well as he does and he's as smart as he is. On and off the court, he's just a brilliant person. Someone who always has your back. Anybody on the team, he's riding for you. It's just great to have D. West here, and hopefully we can keep him here for as long as he wants to play.

Q. What do you remember about that 2012 series with the Spurs? Did you realize back then I guess in retrospect that this team would be up there?
DRAYMOND GREEN: We knew we were trending and headed in the right direction. To say we'd be here, I don't think we can really say that with the things that we've been able to accomplish. I remember that series. We were up 2-1 with a chance to close out Game 4. We didn't make the plays down the stretch we needed to make. They won that game, and it was a wrap from there.

But that series alone just gave us the confidence to continue to try to move forward and get better. I think that's where a lot of this all started.

Q. How do you feel about Klay not being on one of the All-NBA Teams?
DRAYMOND GREEN: Yeah, I think it's bull----. When you look around at the team, what did we win, 67 games or something like that? We probably just handed teams three or four. Talking a possible 70-win season. I think Klay's one of the top three guys, and to not be on the All-NBA Team, I think it's pretty crazy.

There are some guys on there as scorers averaging 20 points and don't have nearly as many wins as we have. So how he could be left out, I don't really understand it. Also, the way Klay can defend. I don't understand it. But I guess they've got to find some way to punish us.

Q. To get him on you have to take somebody off, though. Have you seen the teams?
DRAYMOND GREEN: Yeah, I've seen the teams. Also what I see amongst these teams is sometimes winning isn't that important. But I don't know. It's really not my opinion, but winning can't be that important.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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