Joel Embiid engages in banter with Draymond Green as they discuss potentially meeting in the NBA finals: "If you say that you’re that good of a defender, I mean, I don’t know"
Draymond Green invited Joel Embiid on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” picking the big man's brain on what has transpired over his career.
Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers have been exceptional this season, with Embiid finding his way onto the MVP discussion.
Green, on the other hand, has just returned after a back injury that kept him out for a big chunk of the regular season. However, that hasn’t stopped Green from making bold claims, such as the Golden State Warriors ending up with the title this season.
If the trash talk between @JoelEmbiid and @Money23Green is this good on the pod, imagine what it’s like on the court… https://t.co/QstgBxAJOl
In the discussion, Green highlighted how the 76ers are coming together and then displayed confidence by saying:
“I’m interested to see and hopefully we will meet y’all in the finals. Because as you know, like nobody else in this league, I’m locking that shit up.”
Green’s comments paved the way for a little banter between the two:
Embiid: "Oh yeah, whatever. That’s why you need a double team every time we play y’all."
Green: "That’s crazy, I never asked for a double team. That’s not even in my makeup."
Embiid: "I always find myself to be doubled – every single time I play against you."
Green: "Hey, if you wanna duck in like Shaq (O'Neal), you get two feet in the paint, the double team gotta come, big fella. I mean, at that point you gotta go for what you know."
Embiid: "Well, if you say that, you’re not that good of a defender. I mean, I’ve never asked for a double team in my life. And I think I'm a pretty good defender, uh, especially when I'm on."
B/R's Top 10 NBA MVP Rankings:
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Joel Embiid
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. Stephen Curry
T-5th Ja Morant & Luka Doncic
7. DeMar DeRozan
8. Devin Booker
9. Trae Young
10. Jayson Tatum
Who's your MVP? 👀
(via @danfavale) https://t.co/Xyv2MMvxa2
Green and Embiid are both reliable defenders, who have made the All-Defensive team six and three times respectively. And obviously, the two had some tips for each other:
Green:"When we put you in every pick and roll and they bring you up to blitz, because you can't get, you know, you're just like blitzing, because you can't get up the floor. That's kind of like asking for a double team."
Embiid: "You want me to play drop against Steph Curry?"
Green: "No, you don’t got to be dropped, but you ain't got to blitz it."
Embiid: "I wasn't blitzing last time. I was just trying to make sure we got the ball out of there. That was a big place, 'cause you can't shoot the basketball."
Green: "Hey, but I make every other play, leave me open down the stretch Imma can your ass."
Embiid: "But would I rather make Stephen Curry or you beat us. I'll take you any single day."
Green: "Hey, man, many have succumbed to that mindset, brother."
Draymond Green and Joel Embiid are both indispensable for their teams in a title run
The Golden State Warriors (47-22) and the Philadelphia 76ers (41-26) are third in their conferences, with Draymond Green and Joel Embiid being valuable contributors. Embiid has pretty much willed the 76ers into a championship-caliber team, playing without Ben Simmons at the start of the season. The addition of James Harden has taken Philadelphia's game up a notch.
The Draymond Green effect on Steph Curry:
1) Allowed Steph to do damage off the ball instead of doing heavy-duty on-ball playmaking
2) Set screens that forced the defense to have to choose between coverages, with each one having their own pitfall
ICYMI:
goldenstateofmind.com/2022/3/15/2297… https://t.co/e38XCMv9vX
Green, on the other hand, saw his team suffer defensively in his absence after starting off the season really well. With the playoffs around the corner, Green’s return gives the team a much-needed boost in confidence to close out the regular season and play playoff basketball again.