NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: NUGGETS VS WARRIORS

April 18, 2022

Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors

Game 2: Postgame

Golden State Warriors 126, Denver Nuggets 106.

DRAYMOND GREEN: Jesus, Steph, plus 32, that's incredible. Wow.

Q. In the third quarter, you ran out the halfcourt, was getting the crowd alive. Take us through that moment and what you saw down the Denver bench?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I just saw them arguing. I wasn't sure who was arguing but somebody's down there arguing. The crowd should notice that and they should be very loud for that. Took me a while to get them loud. That was disappointing. Shoot. Coach Michael, it was good.

Q. I saw you dancing out the free throw line late in the fourth quarter.

DRAYMOND GREEN: It was very fun. When you beat a team the way we did the first game, they come out and they give you their best punch, and they did that and we took the punch on the chin. We responded right away. We got control of the game. Pretty much started maybe the last couple minutes of the first quarter and I think we had control rest of the game.

I think just to see our group respond the way we did, I think that's special. That's a very good team. That's not some slouch, pushover team. They have a very good group around an incredible player, and we took their best punch and we responded. I thought that was great.

Q. That lineup broke it open again in the same part of the game, late second. We talked yesterday about the defensive identity you want to build. What did you like about that?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I thought we swarmed. I think there were a couple loose balls that we could have come up with and we didn't come up with and that's one of the things we spoke about with that lineup is we should be able to get deflections and when we get deflections, we have to push the ball and try to make them keep up with that pace.

I think for the most part, we did a pretty good job. They got some offensive rebounds, which that's what you go up against when you do that small, is the rebounding, and I thought we did a good job of cleaning that up. But early on, I thought they had too many offensive rebounds, and that was on me. Joker was getting offensive rebounds.

When battling a big guy like that, it's important our guards come back in and get the rebound. But it starts with me keeping him off the glass and giving them a chance to come clean up the rebounds, and I didn't do a good job of that early. He was able to get some offensive boards. What did he finish with, five offensive rebounds, I think all five of them might have come in the first half. If I do a better job there, give our guys an opportunity to clean up the rebounds, yeah, I think that lineup gets even more dangerous.

Q. What's it like to be on the ball or off the ball when you have Steph and Jordan doing their thing?

DRAYMOND GREEN: It's passer's paradise for me. You've got Steph and Klay -- I mean Steph and Jordan, they roam differently than Klay. Theirs is more kind of fluid. You have to keep an eye on them because they are moving all over the place.

Klay is different. He isn't going to roam when it's time for him to get to a spot for a shot. When them two guys, it's different than reading Klay. But nonetheless, you have those three guys out there at the same time with me as a passer, for me, that's heaven.

Then the one "weak" shooter out there, around me, with that group is "Wiggins," and I think he shoot like 37 percent from three or something like that. For me, you can't ask for anything more on the offensive end any more options than that. So yeah I like it a lot.

Q. What are the things you observe on the court that signal to you that you are demoralizing an opponent?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, you just read body language and frustration. Frustration usually shows up in body language. That's just kind of what I try to read. You try to read interactions with teammates and how someone is reacting to their teammates. If you feel like you're getting under their skin, you press a little more.

If you don't feel like you're getting under their skin, you press up a little more. Just try to do my job. But body language.

Q. With Jordan not being part of the finalist list for Most Improved, have you got your petition ready to go?

DRAYMOND GREEN: It's coming. It's definitely coming for sure.

Q. What was your reaction what you saw the list?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I wasn't shocked. I wasn't shocked at all.

Q. Can you expand a little more on that initial Jesus reaction when you look down and see Steph's stat line? What did you think of his play tonight?

DRAYMOND GREEN: He was incredible. 22 minutes, plus 32, that's insane.

But I thought his patience was great. They did a great job of trying to take the pocket away because we got the best of them in the pocket that first game, and so they did a great job of trying to take that pocket pass away.

Early on a little bit we struggled with it. When Steph came in the game, he just drove until they stopped him, and the big was kind of shaded towards me to take the pocket away. So he just kept driving and I think that broke their defense down. Once he did that, now, you've got him into the paint kicking out and flying back off for threes; that's when Steph Curry is at his most dangerous off the ball.

So I thought the way he came in and settled our offense down, I mean, it's what you expect of Steph Curry but I thought that was huge. Like I said, to be plus 32 in 22 minutes, 23 minutes, it doesn't get much better than that.

Q. You've played with some incredible offensive lineups, Steph, Klay, KD together, but what makes this trio of Jordan, Steph and Klay so tough for defenders?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Jordan is doing some of the same stuff Steph does and that's tough. You're going to game plan for Steph and you're going to game plan for Klay but now you've got to game plan for Jordan. That's a different beast. You're trapping Steph. Okay. Well, if you're trapping Steph and you've got Jordan on the floor, too, it's hard to trap two guys. You swing the ball to the second side, and you know, a big is going to get back, like that's tough.

I think he's been watching Steph a lot and he's doing his best impression, and it is incredible.

Q. We've watched Jordan play in the six-man role most of the season. We've seen Steph do it the last two games. How much does it really matter who is in what role?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, it matters. Ultimately we have to have Steph Curry in the lineup. So, you know, that's one thing. We're not trying to keep Steph in the six-man row. Forget that.

Now, in saying that, ultimately, Jordan probably going to have to start, too. So that's where, you know, we got to figure a bunch of stuff out. Good problem to have. Great problem to have. But it's going to have to get figured out at some point. And maybe down -- the thing about the playoffs is every series takes on a life of its own. Every series requires different matchups, requires different adjustments.

At some point, I'm sure they are both going to be starting together. You know, but I won't -- I won't be the one to cause myself that headache. Steve can figure that one out.

Q. You mentioned the crowd. We all know what the Oracle days were like, and probably can't be duplicated. But what did you think of the crowd? That wasn't the only time you were gesturing, you were running up and down the floor and pointing to the seats. What did you think of the energy?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I thought the energy was good. There were times it felt like Oracle. There were times it was super loud. Like you said, Oracle, as fast as we can, we all got to get rid of the idea of Oracle in our head. That's a very special place. It's a very different place.

I mean, even the makeup of the building, like it's going to be louder, you know, and so we kind of all have to remove that thought from our head that this place is going to be Oracle. It's a totally different place. Nonetheless, it's a great one, too, and we need to continue to establish it as the best home court in the league.

Q. Did you notice Joe Lacob on the sideline?

DRAYMOND GREEN: It's hard not to notice Joe on the sideline. Whether you're going good or bad, it's hard not to notice Joe on the sideline.

Q. When you're going through rehab, is that what you're envisioning for the start of the playoffs and your performance?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I feel incredible. This was definitely the way I hoped it would happen. I was hoping coming back with a month left in the season, that I could round into playoff form, and I feel pretty good. I feel great. I mean, my conditioning is getting there. Got tired a couple times tonight but also got like 285 pounds laying on me, so that's a different beast but nonetheless, I feel great.

I'm past the injury. That's a thing of the past. Just got to continue to do what I do, and continue to bring force and energy to the game and I feel fine and the energy is behind me.

Q. You're the last person that needs motivation, but seeing the voting, DPO, voting, is this an extra statement --

DRAYMOND GREEN: I'm extremely happy for Marcus Smart. That's a guy who I respect as a defender. I'm extremely happy for him. Well-deserved. Where that team's defense went, it changed their season, and he's right in the middle of all of that. I've got no complaints.

I do have some complaints but I'll talk about them on the pod tomorrow.