"That's some Indiana Pacers talk" - Draymond Green scoffs at teams scrambling for playoff spot
The last time Draymond Green played on the NBA court was when the Golden State Warriors lost to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament. The team's disappointing 118-94 loss eliminated it from playoff contention. Throughout his career, Green has argued that he would rather be at home enjoying his summer than lose in the first or second round in the postseason.
The Warriors forward has played in 12 NBA seasons and has established a reputation of being one of the best defensive athletes with elite playmaking capabilities. In that span, he was a pivotal piece in Golden State's dynasty as he helped the franchise secure four titles.
With Father Time playing a role and several teams already in top shape in terms of talent and skill level, Golden State has not looked like the same juggernaut in the past two seasons. In an interview on the "Club 520 Podcast," Draymond Green talked about the focus only being on championships or nothing.
"After winning four championships and making the playoffs and losing in the first round I'd rather not, or second round" Green said. "I'd rather go home and enjoy my summer. We trying to win a championship, that's the talk. But making the playoffs? That's some Indiana Pacers talk."
With the amount of games already played in his NBA tenure, Green re-iterated the importance of competing for the sake of capturing another title. Long gone are the days when the team was concerned about making a playoff spot and finding themselves outmatched in the quarterfinal or semifinal round.
Last season, Draymond Green averaged 8.6 points (49.7% shooting, including 39.5% from beyond the arc), 7.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
Draymond Green talked about how his conversation with Steph Curry went down after their play-in tournament loss
Back in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Golden State Warriors were able to get the edge over the Kings in seven games to advance to the second round. It was a disappointing loss for Sacramento that led to an incredible bounce-back win in the 2024 Play-In Tournament against the same opponent.
The media described it as the final nail in the coffin of the Warriors dynasty as they looked like a shell of themselves. However, Draymond Green revealed in his podcast that Steph Curry was not yet ready to wave the white flag, as per the April 19 episode.
"Right after the game, in the Kings locker room, I said, 'I love you bro.'" Green said. "He was like, 'I love you too, bro. We ain't done.' [I said], 'You right. Got it. Noted. Cool, we in. You right.' So to think that, like, we've done these things. I love it. And we not done."
With everything that the duo have accomplished together, they came to an understanding that they still have a few years left in the tank.
Whether it means that they just need a few good pieces to properly compete next year or a complete roster overhaul, Steph Curry sees another championship run left in them.