Draymond Green is one of the smartest NBA players of his generation.
Despite being undersized for his position, the 33-year-old has played pivotal roles on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for the Golden State Warriors.
A big reason Green was able to consistently overcome his physical deficiencies throughout the Warriors’ four championships is because his mental game is on a different level.
He understands hoops like few of his contemporaries.
This week, Green delivered a harsh message to the Miami Heat regarding how they are opting to guard Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in the NBA Finals.
The message was pretty simple: your current plan won’t work.
“The zone works when Denver isn’t shooting the ball well,” he said.
“So yes, it worked to a certain extent today. But if all else fails, you just throw the ball to Joker at the mid post. The defense has to collapse, if not he’s hitting that shot at a 70 percent rate.
“And if they collapse or even over help just a tad, we know he’s making a play … I don’t think outside of Steph Curry, there’s a tougher player to zone in the NBA [than Jokic].
“Cause Steph shoots the lights out of it, like he’s shooting it from anywhere. And Joker, he makes every play, his touch is crazy, can shoot it, float.”
The Heat didn’t seem to have much of anything for the Nuggets in Game 1 of their NBA Finals showdown.
There’s a reason the majority of the headlines in the aftermath focused on a Nuggets cheerleader’s wild photos going viral, Jokic’s wife’s provocative party pictures and Jimmy Butler’s secret girlfriend.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ offseason seems to be going swimmingly. https://t.co/tAttNDVTXg
— Game 7 (@game7__) June 4, 2023
If Miami wants to make this series competitive, they would be wise to heed Green’s advice.
Will Erik Spoelstra and the Heat ultimately take Green’s words of wisdom to heart? One way or another an answer will reveal itself within the next few days.
Related: Olivia Dunne’s Wild Party Outfit Photos Go Viral Amid LSU Offseason
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
