NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: LAKERS vs WARRIORS

May 10, 2023

Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors

Game 6: Postgame

Warriors - 121, Lakers - 106

Q. You went on your pod, you were real calm, you said, All we have to do is win one game. Win one game and the whole tenor of the series switches, the pressure is on them then. They do not want it face us in Game 7. How have you been able to just -- basically every time you guys have been to the playoffs you guys reach The Finals, you've never lost to a Western Conference opponent. How have you been able to sort of channel that confidence and just have such a deep belief regardless of what you guys have faced?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Well I think number one we have a coach who is one of the greatest winners in NBA history. You lean on him in situations like this. His calmness, everyone feels that. And then it starts up top. Steph's calmness. And it goes on down the line. I think for us any time it's kind of gone astray you just always lean back on what you know that works, on your foundation.

For us it's just getting back to the basics, but most importantly competing at the highest level that we can compete at. We trust and believe in ourselves. And as far as win one, we did that. Now, going back home, they're going to give us the best shot they have given all series. When you go home role players play better, everyone plays better at home. So it's going to be us to go in kind of with the same mindset that we went in to Game 4 with, but when we get the opportunity again that we had in Game 4, close the deal. We didn't close well at all in Game 4. It's on us to go and take the game. They're not going to give it to us. They're going to come out and play aggressive. They have great leaders over there, incredible winners. Their coach is a champion. Bron's a champion. AD's a champion. They're not going to just fold. But it's going to be on us to go in there and take it.

Q. You came out just seemingly like a little extra fiery today. You know that guys feed off that energy. Did you make a point to set a tone or did you feel like that was on you to set a tone early, especially scoring?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I definitely wanted to come out and set a tone. Jacob Rubin told me before the game, like, You played well, but I still haven't felt your presence like I know you can, like your presence should be felt. That's coming out aggressive both ends of the floor. That's verbally, so everyone hears you on the floor. I felt a little disrespected when he said it, so I knew it was on me to come out and, like you said, set the tone for our guys. Come out aggressive, season's on the line, back against the wall, you got to come out and give all that you got. That was just my mindset coming into this game and that will be my mindset going into the next one.

Q. You definitely had one of your better games tonight. You said before, before heading to L.A., you got to just focus and stay the course. But how do you bottle this energy for you as the last two games in L.A. have not been your best?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, just go out with the same mindset. Aggressive on both sides of the floor. Attacking. I think for me that was my mindset from the gate to just attack. Whether that was shooting the three, whether it was going to the hole, whether it was defensively, just attack. And it has to be my same, will be my same mindset going into Los Angeles is, our job isn't done, we're still facing elimination and we'll be facing elimination for the rest of this series. So got to have the same mindset. Back against the wall, you got to come out fighting.

Q. You've always said that you can always get your offense whenever, but this offense that you're playing suggests that you facilitate to other guys. But during this post-season you have been a lot more aggressive in the last series and going into this series trying to look for your shot. What have you seen in this post-season that suggests that you need to be more aggressive and shoot more?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Just how teams are keying on Steph and Klay. They're really doing all that they can, selling out to those guys and trying to take them out of the game. We get paid a lot of money to do this, so you can't just sit back and watch them like, Oh, man, they're talking them out, and just sit back and watch. You got to do something about it.

So for me I know it's on me to have that same aggressiveness. Andrew Wiggins as well. Wiggs was aggressive as hell tonight. When they're guarding those guys the way they have been guarding them, we have to come out with that aggressiveness. I think we did a really good job of it tonight and have to take the show on the road.

Q. You guys would be kind of considered more anti pick-and-roll than most of the league. Obviously this matchup has dictated you run a lot more of that. How do you strike the balance of when you guys need to do kind of your traditional stuff compared to when you kind of got to go more pick-and-roll heavy than maybe you even like to do?

DRAYMOND GREEN: We just lean on Coach. He comes in with a game plan. His game plan has never failed up and to this point, so if he comes in and says, Hey, we're going heavy pick-and-roll tonight, that's what we're doing. If he comes in and says, We're going more to our regular sets, that's what we're doing. We trust his adjustments. He's one of the best ever at making playoff adjustments. So for us it's all about taking what the defense gives you and what's working. We found some success there so you don't want to necessarily go away from it. Just keep on using the things that we've been using until they're able to stop it.

Q. To your point about the Lakers selling out to stop Steph, I mean the Kings did that to some extent and he took 38 shots, scored 50 points in Game 7. Last two games he hasn't shot that well from three, but he's got 22 assists, particularly sort of creative assists sometimes. I'm curious about your thoughts on the impact of his passing and how that's sort of controlled the pace of these last two games?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Well he's been an incredible passer forever. His shot and the way he scores the ball is so incredible that that kind of just goes by the wayside as far as getting acknowledgment. But we know that he's capable of passing the ball and he's been finding guys. If he gets past one defender they're sending four. They're not just sending a help man, they're sending all four guys. He's always a willing passer. He's been making the pass and guys have been aggressive and either getting layups or getting to the rim or knocking shots down. He's just been controlling the pace and the tempo of the game. Getting it to where he wants it. When he wants it sped up he's speeding it up. When he wants to slow it down he's slowing it down. We're going to need him to continue to do that these next two.

Q. What did you think of Andrew tonight?

DRAYMOND GREEN: He was great. Super aggressive on the offensive side and it's what we need from him. He is sometimes our second scorer, sometimes our third scorer, depending on the night. And we always need that aggressiveness. I also thought his aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball was great as well. He met force with force, put up a lot of resistance. Two-way Wiggs. When he's playing like that, we're very tough to beat.

Q. Seven years ago you guys faced a similar situation heading into Oklahoma City in Game 6 on the road. I know it's been awhile, but what do you recall about your mentality heading into that game and how much can you draw from that experience going into Los Angeles?

DRAYMOND GREEN: You always try to draw from those experiences. You look back and I think experience in life is, no matter what the situation is, we all look to that experience when our backs are against the wall. Just understanding, like that OKC game didn't go our way the whole game. If I remember correctly we were down like 15 points or something in the third quarter and Klay went ape shit. You just got to keep fighting and knowing that this team is going to come out and give us their best punch and you got to take that punch and respond. And if you respond they will punch again and you have to respond again. If you can do that then the game tends to flip your way.

So we'll be expecting their best. That's an incredible team led by incredible players and an incredible coach. So they will come out and they will be aggressive. We'll come out and we have to be aggressive from the gate and try to get the game at the pace and tempo that we want it at and try to impose our will on the game.

Q. You were just talking about how aggressive Andrew was and kind of two-way Wiggs. There was sequence in the fourth quarter where he started picking up LeBron super high. You finished with the block on Anthony Davis. What does that tell you about when Wiggins is picking up LeBron like that and how the defense leads to the offense between you two?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Oh, he's just not backing down from the challenge. We all know LeBron and his play-making ability. The force that he gets down hill with. But Wiggs met that challenge. Like I said, he met force with force. With him picking up LeBron like that we just know we have to build a wall behind him. Bron was able to get to the paint, I stepped up and forced a drop off and was able to get back to AD and get the dunk. But when you got a guy like that putting his body on the line, giving all the energy and effort that it takes to -- like when you're guarding LeBron up there he's bumping you. He's not just -- like most guards will just try to dribble and get around. He's hitting you with a body. That takes a lot of energy. So when you got a guy like that that's expending that amount of energy, as a teammate you have to be ready to go behind him. You can't allow him to spend that energy and then just give up something easy behind the play. So, for us, we were ready. Once he started picking up, we built the wall and then we just played and was able to make some plays.

Q. What do you think GP-II's brought to this starting lineup?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Athleticism. As we know GP is athletic. Obviously he's an incredible defender. Just his force on the ball. His dives to the rim has been absolutely incredible. Me and Loon always call GP Small 5. He plays way bigger than his size. He's been an incredible finishing around the rim. I think he hit a couple threes tonight. 1-3 tonight. But he was super aggressive on both sides of the ball. It's opened the floor up some and, you know, just made us a lot better.

Q. Whenever Coach Izzo is in the building you seem to play really well. Is that a coincidence? And what does it mean to you to have him come, him be such a faithful follower of your game?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, that's my guy. I think you all know the love that I have for Coach Izzo. When he takes time out of his schedule to come out here and support me, like I try to play my best. I'm not crazy enough to think that we got another guy on other side Max Christie as well, but Max should know Coach Izzo was here because I was playing and not him. No, no, just playing (laughing.)

But when he's in the building it just always lights a fire under me and I'm always appreciative of him taking the time out of his schedule. Man, he got so many things going on. Fundraiser here, this thing there, recruiting here. Plus coaching a team and running a program. A family. Just a million things going on. I just try to show my appreciation before his presence with my effort when he does come.

Q. I only ask because you mentioned how Klay was a big factor in how you guys dug yourselves out of the last 3-1 hole you were in. And tonight you mentioned earlier how they tried to take Klay and Steph out of the offense and tonight they kind of succeeded when it came to Klay's shooting, but he still finished the game plus 16, so he had an impact, which Coach Kerr said it was definitely on the defensive end, but he also said that he's due for a big shooting night. Do you think that Game 6 is the night you guys need that from him and if so do you think there's any pressure on Klay to do that for you guys?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, we're champions, so there's pressure every time you step on the floor. You go out there, you don't win, people ready to crush you. People forget about the things that you have done in the past immediately. So it's always pressure when we step on the floor. I do think he's due for a big shooting night. You are talking about a guy who is one of the, arguably one of the greatest shooters ever that we've ever seen. He steps up in big moments. So tonight he wasn't able to get his shot going, but defensively he was all over the place. And then his presence on the floor, regardless of if he's making or missing shots you're going to guard him like he's making shots because if he hits one you know the flurry can come. And so still the spacing that he brings on the court when he's not shooting well it's a bonus and benefit for our offense. And, you know, I hope they start helping off of him since he's not shooting well, because he'll get it going fast. So, you know, hopefully he does have a big game on Friday, but if he doesn't, we need his effort, we need his presence, and it's still on all of us to go out there and do what we got to do to get a win.