The Draymond Green Show w/Baron Davis: Christmas Day Lakers Suplex Explained, Warriors Drama & NBA MVP Race

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – The Draymond Green Show w/Baron Davis

Release Date: January 9, 2025

In this episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," hosted by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume, Draymond Green and Baron Davis engage in a dynamic and candid conversation covering a range of hot topics in the NBA. From dissecting a contentious Christmas Day play to analyzing league-wide issues like declining ratings and storytelling, the duo offers deep insights and spirited discussions. Below is a detailed breakdown of the episode's key segments.

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1. Christmas Day Lakers Suplex Play Explained

The episode kicks off with an in-depth analysis of a pivotal play involving Draymond Green during the Christmas Day game against the Lakers.

• Draymond Green's Breakdown:

  Draymond provides a play-by-play of the incident, highlighting his respect for referee Scott Foster. He explains, “[00:44] ...what happened was I was a Scott Foster” and continues to describe his attempts to alert the referee about a foul. Green emphasizes his admiration for Foster's consistency, stating, “[03:50] ...Scott, he like, you can't do that. So, you know me.”

• Baron Davis's Reaction:

  Baron interjects with enthusiasm and astonishment, exclaiming, “[02:35] ...you are nuts,” and later, “[07:03] ...I think he missed that call.”

• Notable Quote:

  Draymond Green encapsulates the moment: “[05:06] Scott, I’m moving on. You hear this? But you owe me one. Next time you referee, don’t let them.”

This breakdown not only sheds light on the on-court dynamics but also underscores the importance of referee-player interactions in high-stakes games.

2. NBA Ratings and the Decline of Storytelling

Green and Davis pivot to a broader discussion about the NBA's declining television ratings and the role of storytelling in engaging audiences.

• Baron Davis's Perspective:

  Baron criticizes the current media landscape, noting, “[08:10] ...storytelling, man. Storytelling storylines,” and laments the lack of authentic narratives that resonate with fans. He emphasizes the need for more in-depth coverage of players’ backgrounds and histories to foster a deeper connection with the audience.

• Draymond Green's Agreement:

  Green concurs, highlighting the shift towards superficial coverage: “[11:07] ...there's no soul. Like, you know, it's like the league has lost its soul.”

• Notable Quote:

  Baron Davis sums up their concern: “12:16 ...we just think that this just gonna appeal to people.”

The conversation highlights a critical view of how the NBA’s presentation has moved away from meaningful storytelling, potentially alienating long-time fans.

3. Team Updates: Dennis Schroeder and Jonathan Kuminga

The discussion shifts to specific team dynamics, focusing on Dennis Schroeder's integration into Draymond’s team and the impact of Jonathan Kuminga’s ankle injury.

• Integration of Dennis Schroeder:

  Draymond praises Schroeder’s leadership and aggression, stating, “[21:30] ...Dennis is a leader. Like, he gets to problems.”

• Impact of Jonathan Kuminga’s Injury:

  Baron expresses concern over Kuminga’s role, “[25:49] ...Jonathan Kuminga has been sidelined for the next three weeks,” and discusses adjustments needed, including a heavier reliance on Andrew Wiggins.

• Notable Quote:

  Draymond emphasizes team cohesion: “34:11 ...the chemistry on this team is incredible.”

Their insights reveal the challenges and adjustments teams must navigate mid-season due to player movements and injuries.

4. Stephen A. Smith's "Mid" Comment on the Warriors

A heated topic arises when Stephen A. Smith labels the Warriors as "very mid."

• Baron Davis's Reaction:

  Baron views Smith’s comment as a wake-up call, “[28:50] ...to look up and be like, hold on, we mid.”

• Draymond Green's Acknowledgment:

  Green reflects on the reality of the Warriors' position, “[29:10] ...we are.”

• Notable Quote:

  Baron Davis underscores the significance: “31:02 ...it's almost like a wake up call for absolutely everybody.”

This segment underscores the pressure teams face from media scrutiny and the internal motivation required to overcome perceived mediocrity.

5. Kawhi Leonard's Return to the Clippers and the MVP Race

The conversation delves into Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Clippers and its implications for the NBA MVP landscape.

• Baron Davis on Kawhi's Impact:

  Baron asserts Kawhi's significant role, “[36:31] ...once Kawhi comes back.”

• Draymond Green's Insight on MVP Candidates:

  Green discusses how Kawhi's return affects other players like James Harden and Norman Powell, “[38:46] ...which one of those guys are going to take more of a hit?”

• Notable Quote:

  Baron Davis highlights strategic shifts: “41:16 ...Kawhi is the ultimate compliment to James, his system.”

This segment offers a nuanced view of team dynamics and individual performances influencing the MVP race.

6. Player Incidents: Jayson Tatum vs. Tyler Herro

Green and Baron dissect on-court incidents, particularly focusing on Jayson Tatum’s confrontation with Tyler Herro.

• Draymond Green's Analysis:

  Green critiques Tatum’s action, “[43:06] ...Why he swing Tyler Herro like that?”

• Baron Davis's Commentary:

  Baron emphasizes the need for professionalism, “[45:25] ...you can't just be swinging.”

• Notable Quote:

  Draymond expresses concern: “46:02 ...the guy who needs some help. Stop it.”

The discussion underscores the importance of player conduct and the repercussions of on-court altercations.

7. Anthony Edwards’ Performance and Development

The duo evaluates Anthony Edwards’ recent performances and addresses critiques from Charles Barkley about his regression.

• Draymond Green’s Defense:

  Green vehemently defends Edwards, “[51:02] ...I don't think Anthony Edwards is regressing,” and highlights his improved skills.

• Baron Davis's Perspective:

  Baron agrees but suggests Edwards hasn’t fully reached his potential, “[53:25] ...he's not regressed.”

• Notable Quote:

  Baron challenges Edwards’ growth: “55:09 ...he's ballin' he’s a baller.”

They emphasize Edwards’ evolving game and the need for continued development to meet high expectations.

8. Additional Topics and Lighthearted Moments

Towards the end, Green and Baron touch upon lighter topics, including Jay Z wearing a Baron Davis jersey and upcoming segments like “What's That Tweet?” They engage in playful banter, reflecting their camaraderie and adding a personal touch to the discussion.

• Jay Z’s Jersey:

  Baron shares an anecdote about Jay Z wearing a UCLA jersey, “[58:42] ...I gave him the UCLA black jersey.”

• Notable Quote:

  Draymond humorously remarks, “60:23 ...he who really? Well, like, I'm not about to sit here and try to break this down.”

These moments provide a glimpse into the hosts' personalities and their connections beyond the basketball court.

9. Top Five Players in the League

In their final segment, Baron shares his top five players in the NBA, highlighting standout performances and potential MVP candidates.

• Baron Davis’s List:

  1. Stephen A. Smith (SGA)
  2. Joker (Isaiah Joe)
  3. Jayson Tatum
  4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
  5. James Harden

• Draymond Green's Addition:

  Green emphasizes the evolving dynamics, “[63:44] ...he’s back better than ever.”

• Notable Quote:

  Baron concludes with confidence in his selections: “63:06 ...until I can beat them and dethrone them, that's the best team.”

This ranking offers listeners insight into the hosts' views on the league's top talent and emerging stars.

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Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Draymond Green and Baron Davis provide a blend of analytical insights, personal anecdotes, and candid opinions on current NBA happenings. Their conversations shed light on player performances, team strategies, and broader league issues, making it a valuable listen for basketball enthusiasts seeking comprehensive commentary and expert analysis.

Notable Quotes Recap:

• Draymond Green on Scott Foster: “05:06 Scott, I’m moving on. You hear this? But you owe me one. Next time you referee, don’t let them.”
• Baron Davis on Media Storytelling: “12:16 ...we just think that this just gonna appeal to people.”
• Draymond Green on Team Chemistry: “34:11 ...the chemistry on this team is incredible.”
• Baron Davis on Kawhi & James Harden: “41:16 ...Kawhi is the ultimate compliment to James, his system.”
• Draymond Green on Player Conduct: “46:02 ...the guy who needs some help. Stop it.”

This episode serves as a compelling exploration of the NBA's current landscape, driven by the passionate perspectives of Draymond Green and Baron Davis.

Transcript

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[Baron Davis]

The volume.

[Draymond Green]

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green show with my dog bd. What's happening, my brother?

[Baron Davis]

What's up, my dog? We already, you know, going into our second week, almost into the new year, man, kids back in school now, you know, getting back into routine. How you feeling now?

[Draymond Green]

A lot better, man. Jesus Christ. I love my kids. I love hanging with my kids. They are amazing. They keep. They breathe life into me. So I really enjoy it. But having four kids can be a bit overwhelming at times. And I can love my kids and enjoy being around them and want them to go back to school. Both can be true.

[Baron Davis]

School is a good thing.

[Draymond Green]

Both can be true. And I am happy they back, you know, so we can start back really getting these episodes pumping how we do, you know. So please subscribe to the Draymond Green show with Baron Davis. So you don't miss any of these episodes, any of this banter. Make sure you subscribe.

[Baron Davis]

Yep, that's right. Follow the show on all social media platforms at Draymond show so you don't miss none of these announcements. Man, we got crazy announcements. I know we've been away for a bit. There have been many things that we need to cover. A lot of stuff we need to cover. So we gonna start off with the fast break. This is a segment where we'll cover three stories in 12 minutes and we have to start with Christmas Day. I don't know if you seen or explained what happened during this play, but could you explain what happened when you pull down the Lakers?

[Draymond Green]

What happened was I was a Scott Foster. I got a few referees I love. So I'm gonna say one of my top two top three favorite referees. I love Scott Foster and I actually love Scott Foster. Like the reason I love Scott Foster, you got all of it in that game of why I love Scott Foster. He don't care who you are. He's going to call the call however he sees it. Don't matter who you are. Love that about Scott Foster. You could be LeBron James. You could be Quinton Post. He gonna call it the same way. And he ain't afraid of you. Like, no matter who you are, Scott ain't afraid. So I love Scott Foster for that reason. So in true fashion, my favorite referee is right here on the baseline, on the box out. They hook their arms in front of me, which you can't do. It's illegal. Like, they connect and hold each other arms. How dare you, Scott? I'm like, scott, they can't do this. Y'all like, hey, unlock arms. You guys can't do that. So they unlock arms, and then they start to move their arms back together. So I look back at Scott, I'm like, scott, he like, you can't do that. So you know me.

[Baron Davis]

Oh, my God, dude.

[Draymond Green]

I think fast. So I'm like, all right, well, if they arms are connected, if you run into their arms, it's actually a foul on them. So. So I'm like, I just alerted Scott twice. He see that they lock an army. I'm going. So I take a little step back to load my run up, and then I just try to start taking off, running into their arm. When I run into their arm, Scott, you seen that? Their arms was locked. You ain't gonna blow the whistle. So I'm like, oh, they ain't blow the whistle yet. All right. I gotta do more to get this file caught.

[Baron Davis]

You are nuts.

[Draymond Green]

Come here.

[Baron Davis]

Hey, come here.

[Draymond Green]

Hey.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, I blow this whistle one way, bro. I swear, when I was watching that, it was almost like you told the ref, hey, look what I'm about to do.

[Draymond Green]

I told you. I said, scott, they can't do this. So check this out. I don't hear a whistle blow yet. So I'm like, oh, ain't enough contact yet. Like, let me create more contact so I create more contact with it. Scott blows the whistle and go, double foul. No foul on you. Shoot one free throw. I'm like, what?

[Baron Davis]

Scott, bro, that was.

[Draymond Green]

He like, hell, Draymond. Like, I don't know what it should be, but I know you foul. So whatever, Scott. But you just saw the hook arms. He like, draymond, it's a foul on.

[Baron Davis]

You for the start.

[Draymond Green]

I said, scott, they hooked on Scott. Goes to the referee, who's now on the baseline. Hey, switch positions with me so he can come down there and talk.

[Baron Davis]

Do you think it was not a foul on you?

[Draymond Green]

No, it was definitely a foul on me for sure. But it was only a foul on me because he missed the first file. Where I ran into their arms.

[Baron Davis]

Hell, no.

[Draymond Green]

So listen. So Scott comes to the baseline and has a full conversation. Incredible conversation. It was such a fun conversation. And he's like, draymond. But I don't know which one of the guys I wanted to call a foul on you. On. I don't know which. He said, if they were shooting free throws, I don't know which one of them I get a free throws to. And we had a whole conversation. Like I said, that's one of. That's one of the reasons Scott is one of my favorite referees. Because there's this common misconception of, like, you can't talk to Scott Foster. And I think that is so far from true. You can have a conversation with Scott Foster the entire game, all night, as long as y'all are having a conversation back. And you can even raise your voice.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, he can.

[Draymond Green]

He'll raise his voice back. And like I said, and at a certain point throughout the night, if you start to get disrespectful, Scott gonna tell you, I'm done. I ain't talking to you no more. And then if you talk to him, you're gonna get attack. But Scott's not just a guy that you're gonna go talk to right away and get attack. Like, the man literally switched positions, like, hey, switch with me so he could come down there and talk some more. Like. And it was. It was such a fun. It was such a fun moment.

[Baron Davis]

It was for me.

[Draymond Green]

And to have that moment with Scott, like I said, one of my favorite referees. Truly a blast, man.

[Baron Davis]

That was one of the all time free throw. Wwf. Wwe. That was old school. Wwf. Dusty Rhodes taking down Boom.

[Draymond Green]

With the double Sulex.

[Baron Davis]

Then he looked at the ref and said, what?

[Draymond Green]

Call the first foul, Scott. I ran into their connected arm, called the first foul.

[Baron Davis]

What did I do?

[Draymond Green]

Call. Hey, Scott.

[Baron Davis]

Scott, did you hear this? Scott, you should have caught that first foul. If Scott would have caught the first foul, then it would have made it all the more better. I think he missed that call. If he would have.

[Draymond Green]

Scott, I'm moving on. You hear this? But you. You owe me one. Next time you referee, don't let them.

[Baron Davis]

Boys lock arms like that. Scott.

[Draymond Green]

You owe me one, Scott. Hey, let me pass. Let me swing this, swing this. Rock man, why are the NBA ratings down like this? Like, I know it's football season, but talk to me. What you got for me?

[Baron Davis]

Storytelling, man. Storytelling storylines. I think. You know, as the visibility of the league expanded, you need more voices telling more authentic stories and being Able to tap into these players. Like when I look at the media around the game is different. It's all like, almost like fake news, gossip news, all the bullshit opinions, weird ass people giving hot takes. Everything is a hot take. And now you kind of phasing out. What we did every day in the streets, you know what I mean, is like, who your top five, who the top 10 or who the top 25? And like, you can't even really. We don't even have that no more, you know what I mean? We don't even have like who the top five guards in the league, who the top five big dudes, right? And so, and then on top of that, with no stories, getting no nicknames, getting no superheroes with no superpowers, and so now the kids is like, you know what I mean? It's like, I'm getting stuff, but where's the staff? Like the Steph LeBron story on Christmas Day gotta be a Christmas dream, you know what I mean? And you gotta have just more of the culture, I think. You got so much media, but like you giving once again getting a microphone to the people who don't really know the game or the history of the game. And so where there's no nostalgia, there's nowhere for you to kind of like dive in the game, for you to get to know these new dudes. And they dope, right? I've been saying that, like this young generation, if we embrace them with a skill and learn who they are and learn their names, even though they young coming in the league, like it would help even for them to know they pass, you know what I'm saying? And so like, the questions may be a little different, the nostalgia may be a little different. Then you know why, you know, Golden State and the Lakers got beef because it's history there, you know what I mean? You know why the Detroit Pistons in Chicago got beef in its history there? So whether you're the best team in the league or the worst team in the league, you playing for legacy. And, and, and to keep that streak alive, you feel what I'm saying? Or, or, or territory. And so the league just got away from like, man, like, what the hell are we watching the games for if they don't mean nothing?

[Draymond Green]

Yeah, no, that's a fact. I, I agree. I think the storytelling is way down. I can't blame it all on media, because players play. However, I do think players play by rules that are set. And I think the rules are not enjoyable to watch. It's, it's just too Clean like it ain't no. And like, nah, there's no value.

[Baron Davis]

There's no value for possessions either. Yeah, so it's like, they're like, it don't give you knowing. Like, I don't have no anxiety watching the game until the playoffs come. You know what I mean? Ain't no anxiety. Ain't like, damn, man, like, we really need to stop right now. It's like the game's always like coming back from 13 or it's never really a tight game all the way through to build that narrative. And to your point, the rules. The rules and the style of play is just can't be appealing that like, everybody want to be step, but ain't everybody. Steph, bro, that's a fact. That's a fact out of bricking, you know what I mean? It's a lot of bricking going on. And it's like, why is this dude shooting like crazy shots? You know what I mean? And it's like, we want to see the superstar. Superstar.

[Draymond Green]

No, that's fact. Listen, I agree with that. And by the way, media, no passes here. I can't blame solely y'all, but people tired of hearing y'all talk about what some. Who somebody slept with last night or.

[Baron Davis]

Gosh, bro, knock it off.

[Draymond Green]

Such and such came in late like, nobody care. They want to hear you talk about basketball, but they've. They've now done the argument culture for so long in sports that they don't know how to talk about basketball anymore. They don't know basketball anymore. So they spew out these pointless numbers that no one understands. It's no soul. Like, you know, it's like the league has lost its soul. It's no soul in it anymore.

[Baron Davis]

It's hella squares, man. It's just hell.

[Draymond Green]

Nonetheless, I do think, um, yes, in America, the ratings are down for sure, but I'm sure globally, oh yeah, it's.

[Baron Davis]

All the way up. Yeah, but we get, you know, like, where is the culture and the intersection? You know what I mean? You can't just.

[Draymond Green]

It's gone.

[Baron Davis]

It's just like, oh, we just gonna play rap music. Cause like, we just think that this just gonna appeal to people. You know what I mean? It's like everything is like the NBA used to be the source of like culture, curation.

[Draymond Green]

Yes, for sure.

[Baron Davis]

Content, curation. And commercials. Like, look at all the whack ass commercials that sell, you know what I mean? Like, man, like, name somebody who got a dope shoe commercial. Nobody.

[Draymond Green]

No, I got, I got the dopest. Commercial on tv, man.

[Baron Davis]

The one with. Yeah, with the. Is it the Buick? What is that a Buick? Okay.

[Draymond Green]

What's up, bro? Are you all right?

[Baron Davis]

Tell your eyes, hey, send me one of them.

[Draymond Green]

I can't tell you right with. I wish I could send you one of those. Me and my baby girl.

[Baron Davis]

That's a fire commercial though. But it, but it, but it shows personality and it show you in a different environment. So what you see on the court, you know what I mean? Like, and it's new. Everybody else is just keep doing the same shit or hiring some influencers to like do social media. I don't want to see no social media accounts. I want to see a dope ass Anthony Edwards commercial. You know what I mean? Not just a commercial, you know what I mean? I want to see what's the next KD commercial or trip, you know, like, what's the step? Like, everybody should. Like, it's no competition. And like, oh, who got the dopest shoe, but who got the dopest commercial? Who got the best swag or who got the entourage? Like, it ain't even like that no more. You know what I mean? So it's like, why the am I following when I, I ain't get. I'm only getting the game, you know what I mean? And like, I don't even. And I know the players. I'm just saying from a fan perspective is like, I'm not tapped into all these guys because we don't know where they went to college. You know what I mean? Like, it's just, yeah, you better get some. We gotta get some experts in here, man, because we need some voices to like explain people background. They stole all these dudes got incredible stories and come from somewhere and like, we just suffer from like surface type shit, man. This is important. I need to get your thoughts. What do you think or what were you thinking when you heard that Mike Brown was being fired?

[Draymond Green]

Well, first off, Travis asked me right away. He said, man, you said three or four years ago that Mike Brown would get fired in three to four years even when he was having success. Why did you say that? I said, well, I was right, huh? He said, yeah, but why did you say that? I said, because he's in an organization that they fire coaches and no matter what he does, he's going to get fired. I said, mike Malone had their franchise player playing his best basketball. He had played up until that point. Demarcus Cousins, his first, first coach that they had brought in that he absolutely loved, and they fired him. And he was doing well. I said, so what chance does Mike Brown have? He doesn't have a chance. He never had a chance. And that's why I said that. I said. But also Trav, another reason I said it is because people tend to forget things that go on around the NBA or that are said around the NBA. And I don't. I actually remember everything. And I'm a. Like Vivek, who's the owner of the Sacramento Kings team organization. He was a minority owner here before he bought the Kings. And So I know VC's great. I have zero issues with Vivek. I actually love him. Super nice. Family's nice. They are great. Where Vivek lost me was. And I quote or whatever, but I said another reason I knew he'd get fired is because people tend to forget these things. But Vivek's incredible. He's a great man. But he once thought we should play four on five. Like, basketball should be played four on five. So much so that he tried it with the G League team. And I said, so four on five? Yeah, you know, like, you should cherry pick one guy. He should never come back on defense. And you should play defense for, like, that. That's what he. And he thought that that should work. And he tried it with the G League team. And I was just like, you know, Trav, so for a guy to, like, try to play four on five, you can't think that he's going to be, like, logical with the coach that he hired or fire like Jackie Moon. And so, like I said, I love. Vivek's great.

[Baron Davis]

You calling him Jackie Moon.

[Draymond Green]

Just so we're clear, bd.

[Baron Davis]

Just so we're clear, bro, you calling.

[Draymond Green]

Every basketball set ran is to put you in an advantage five on four.

[Baron Davis]

Oh, my God.

[Draymond Green]

Three.

[Baron Davis]

That's two on one.

[Draymond Green]

Every basketball set read is to create that advantage. And you just gonna give us that advantage. Like, so, you know, I wasn't. I was not at all surprised. And then the last thing I'll say, bd is on the heels of money Williams getting paid Buku bread, they didn't even want to pay Mike Brown. They end up giving them three for 30 timber year. I think he was trying to get like 13 to 15 a year. They kind of was like, all right, here's something. And so, you know, with his contract negotiation this past off season, you could just kind of see the writing on the wall.

[Baron Davis]

The commitment wasn't going to be there.

[Draymond Green]

The commitment wasn't there. And Jackie Moon. I. I was not the least bit surprised.

[Baron Davis]

Jackie Moon, baby. Semi proud. He he.

[Draymond Green]

So that's my take on Mike Brown being fired.

[Baron Davis]

Still shout out to Mike Brown. Great coach. I'm sure he'll pop up somewhere. And you know, just like time we have went over time, way over time of the 12 minutes. So apologize to y'all fans. We get kind of caught up, but we gonna stick to probably the next time we gonna try and knock this thing out in under 12 minutes.

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[Baron Davis]

Moving right along, Dub Nation first, let's talk how it's been playing with my boy Dennis Schroeder for the past few games. Talk about that addition, Dre, and what he means to your team as he starts to get more and more acclimated.

[Draymond Green]

Man, I love playing with Dennis on our team. You know, we had battles against Dennis over the years, and so there's a mutual respect already there. But him coming to this team, he brings a feistiness that we need at the guard spot. He brings a demeanor that we need an Alpha male, you know, that doesn't hurt anyone. You know, there's no alpha here that feels uncomfortable with another Alpha next to them, you know, and so we invite that. We invite you to be the exact Alpha that you are in every situation. And so. And enjoy. I've enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we haven't won as many games as we would like to, but it's. You know, it'll come together, I believe. But, man, Dennis is. He's a leader. Like, he gets to problems. Like, if there's a problem, he see it, he go right to it. He had one situation. I can't remember who it was, but, like, his first. This was like, his first. This was like. I think his first game played with us, first and second game played with us. He.

[Baron Davis]

We.

[Draymond Green]

We were sitting on the plane. You know, we go back, he sits at the gambling table with us, and we were waiting to start because he was at the front of the plane talking to one of the players that some in the game, and he's like, no, I'm like, I'm going to address that right now. And I just thought that was so dope. He said to me the other day in the Memphis game, which really changed my focus. And I text him after the game. I said, man, I haven't had a teammate say anything like that to me in years. And he was like, yo, we was walking ahead of time. He like, yo, yeah, keep talking to them. Like, we. We at these boys, like. And, you know, he said a few choice words that was a little different than that, but we'll leave it at that. He's like, keep talking. We gonna keep talking to them. They ain't cut like that. And I'm like, you're right. Absolutely.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah.

[Draymond Green]

But you're talking to the roughs too much. Yeah, get off them roughs, man. Talk to them. Talk to the Grizzlies. We talking to them. Get off them roughs. And I was like, makes sense. And I came back out in the second half locked in, and I hit him after the game. And I said, yo, I appreciate you saying that to me, because it locked me in on what I needed to be locked in on. And I'll be honest with you, not many people will say that to me. And I'm thankful for that, that you say that to me.

[Baron Davis]

That's big time.

[Draymond Green]

Huge. And I think he gonna be a big help for us here. And, you know, I think he's gonna be a big part. Like, he's still trying to get comfortable.

[Baron Davis]

Totally.

[Draymond Green]

You know, I don't Think people really understand how it is to come to a team mid season. People really don't understand how hard it is to come to a team mid season and take the ball out of Steph Curry's hands, because that's what he's done. You know, he's come and he's taken the ball out of Steph Curr intentionally. Like that was the goal, you know, to find someone that can release, relieve.

[Baron Davis]

Stuff a little bit so he don't have to.

[Draymond Green]

Yeah, yeah. And be on the ball wasting energy the whole time. And Dennis, you know, he's come in and do that, but it's hard to. You know, the times you can be out there and you feel like you're wrong, man. You know, you on the court with Steph Curry, and it could feel a little wrong. It could mess with your head a little bit. So he's starting to get over that, and we're starting to see it more and more. He's starting to get more aggressive, and I think, as he does, it'll be great. And then he had said something else to me that I thought was like, all right, respect. He was like, dre, I'm telling you, man, I'm so excited to get here. I miss my family. He's like, I miss my family. And when they get out here, I'm telling you, the player that I am.

[Baron Davis]

When they get here, I'm crazy.

[Draymond Green]

And I was like, people don't understand that side of it, though. You know what I'm saying? Like, this man missing his kids and.

[Baron Davis]

His wife, his routine.

[Draymond Green]

Yeah. Like your day, like, every day is just off, you know what I'm saying? So then you go into the game, but you've been feeling off all day, every day for the last week and a half, you know? And so he's starting to, you know, he's starting to come around for us. And like I said, I think he gonna be really good for us.

[Baron Davis]

I like that. Jonathan Kaminga, he been balling, been playing really good as of late, but he'll be sidelined for the next three weeks with an ankle injury. I mean, I know you high on his potential. What adjustments do you believe the team has to make with some, like, somebody like Kaminga, now that he, you know, stepping into that role, he now gonna be out for a long period of time.

[Draymond Green]

Yeah, man, it sucks. Especially he's playing his best basketball, probably his career so far, you know, and just to see him taking that next step, like, what I've seen from him as of late is like, oh, I can get a ball up because I'm going to get the ball back every possession.

[Baron Davis]

Right?

[Draymond Green]

Like, so I can actually drive in and make the next play, which is making him even more dangerous because he's starting to hit some open shooters and stuff, which eventually just opens the floor up more for him. And just seeing him take those next steps, you know what I'm saying, of a shot that he made with a force because he don't know, A, how long he gonna be in the game, B, when he gonna get the ball back. He ain't forcing none of that no more. No. I always say when you got great scores, which I think he has the potential to be, they're going to take some bad shots like you. You not be a great scorer and not take any bad shots. And so he's still going to take some shots. That's questionable, as every great scorer does. But the way he's starting to see the game now, the way the game is slowing down for him, it's been special to see. And I think, you know, for us, with missing him for these next three, four weeks, it's tough. I think we're going to need a much heavier dose of Andrew Wiggins. You know, in the last couple games, he's been aggressive. We need that. Especially that SEC start in the second half of that Memphis game when JK went out, Wigs picked it up, and we're going to need him to be really aggressive. I think also that, you know, that's going to open up more minutes for Slow Mo, which the last couple games you've seen him, and I think, you know, obviously we need JK out there. I want him out there. But I think, you know, being in the space that we're in, struggling a bit, getting a veteran like Slow Mo out there can help right the ship. You know, it can help settle things down. And so I think it'll be a little more Slow Mo. We need a lot more Wigs. Yeah, consistently, which he's been great all year. You know, I'm not saying he hasn't been consistent, but we're going to need Wigs to be even more aggressive, and then all of us got to pick it up. You know, everybody got to be willing to shoot because it's not going to be as much pressure on the rim without JK putting that pressure on the rim. Everybody got to come out ready to fire.

[Baron Davis]

No, I agree. I mean, you know, it's a golden opportunity for some of the dudes and for, you know, like we said in the beginning, of the year. Yeah, I got a lot of depth and versatility, so this is kind of like could be a great turning point. And speaking of turning point, you know, Steph, calling the team very mid. What does that reflect about who you guys are right now, but what you guys can be going forward?

[Draymond Green]

How did kids say we're very mid right now?

[Baron Davis]

Just very average, right? I mean, and then he turned up the next game, hit 8 for 8 from the three point line. But, you know, calling the warriors very mid. You know, man, let's drill in on that, man.

[Draymond Green]

Listen, when he said that and I read it, I was like, oh. And I sat and started thinking about it. I'm like, yeah, I get what he's saying. I get where he coming from. We are definitely like right at 500, like right middle of the pack, very mid. And we heard him and I think we've played a little better since. But again, that's that it's still got an equal stack and wins together. And we haven't done that. So until we do that, like he said, you never want to. When you're going through it, you never want to really accept that you're mid or that you're not a good team or whatever it is, like, it's a hard pill to accept. And we haven't accepted it because we still think we got a chance and we could right to ship, but it's tough. And so for him to just come out and say it like, hey, it's real elephant in the room. We mid right now. Like, all right, so now what? Now that we can acknowledge that what we gotta do to figure this out and get better. And so when I first saw it, it was like a double take. But then I'm like, yeah, we are.

[Baron Davis]

Very mid right now sometimes. But it's a humbling experience because sometimes you gotta humble yourself and say like, yo, we around here doing this, we doing that. We saying this, we saying that. Like, we was this we, not that no more. You know what I mean? So it's like almost like a self check moment to be like, yo, we are very mid. And then to look up and be like, hold on, we mid. How are we mid?

[Draymond Green]

You know what I mean?

[Baron Davis]

We need to recalibrate because ain't nothing mid about, you know what I mean, what we doing. And so you know when it. When it's. When it's the big dog talking like that, you know, it's almost like a wake up call for absolutely everybody. Everybody else, yeah.

[Draymond Green]

And you know what another thing that it does is it can also give guys confidence because it gives them like that freedom to be like, yo, yeah, it's no pressure. This is what we need to do. Right. And. And so then they don't have to live up to the pressure that's been created by what we've done, you know, because that's the thing. Like you come here and you feel like you need to live up to the pressure of what we've been. And that's not a realistic thing.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah.

[Draymond Green]

And so I think that that also helps with that. But we start a four game road trip today in Detroit, followed by the Pacers and Raptors and Timberwolves. In your honest opinion, what do you see the toughest matchup of this road trip? And where do you see the record being in this road trip?

[Baron Davis]

I mean, I would like to see y'all go 3 and 1.

[Draymond Green]

I think that's a great road trip.

[Baron Davis]

2 and 2 is a good road trip. It started in Detroit, you know what I mean? Like, these young dudes, they hungry. They coming off of 500, you know what I mean? They already 500. They just been playing. Really. Just playing the ass off. You gotta be Detroit.

[Draymond Green]

Yeah.

[Baron Davis]

Because then that puts. Then I take the pressure off, you know, Halliburton, you know what I mean? Don't want that. Steph Fade and Indiana, they coming out like, you know what I mean? They. They coming out playing just as hard as y'all gonna play.

[Draymond Green]

Yep. And maybe harder.

[Baron Davis]

I like Toronto. I think that they are at home. They're just like how the Toronto rafters used to be when they weren't. When they were not demar. You know what I mean? When they, when they were not contenders. You better not go in there half stepping because you could get knocked. And then, you know, the Timberwolves waiting for y'all because they fit, you know, that's. That's one of them other. That's one of the team shit that's.

[Draymond Green]

Very mid, you know what I mean?

[Baron Davis]

They hella mid. So it's like, who. Who's going to start laying some foundation in concrete in that middle market, you know what I mean? And like really product, same mindset we got, right? Yeah, hell yeah. And like, you know, and. And it's that mindset to have when you in the season like this, getting ready for All Star get, you know, the ups and downs, trying to get like, we, we up, we down, we, we injured people coming in and out. All of this, you know, for this all Star push. Like, what are your thoughts around just like, talk to the fans about everybody is going through something, right? And then like, what is kind of like your recipe or is there a team meeting or, you know, how do you guys, like start riding the ship? Is it a meeting? Is it, you know, like, because, you know, fans are always asking, like, oh, we need a team meeting. Those dudes should just get together and talk. Or like, what is, what is the philosophy around kind of like this winter time, like, winner is here.

[Draymond Green]

You know, you have team meetings here and there. Just trying to figure it out and talk, talk amongst each other, which we've done. But the interesting thing about this team is it's like, it ain't zero bad blood. Like, the chemistry on this team crazy is incredible. And so it's not one of them things of where you need to get in and like call somebody out. Like, yo, we, we ain't hitting on this. Like, it ain't none of that. Like, the chemistry on this team is incredible. And so, like, it's the play. Like, we just gotta play better, you know? And like, that has to be the focus for us. Like, we just have to play better. Because all the other stuff that you need to make you a winning team, we have like rocking with each other off the court, we have like, you know what I'm saying? Like, all the things that you need around the play to be a great team, we have those things. And so we just gotta play better and win some games. So I don't, you know, I don't really always like, stop losing.

[Baron Davis]

Stop losing games.

[Draymond Green]

That's what I'm saying. This ain't one of them situations where it's like, yo, they struggling and it's problems in the locker. It ain't nothing like that. And so we've thrown games away that we shouldn't. Like, you just gotta win.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, I totally agree, bro. I totally agree. You just, you just gotta stop losing the games you're not supposed to lose or figuring out a way to like, you know, even like the little mid season tournament going back to that in the Houston, it's like, look at that.

[Draymond Green]

Yeah.

[Baron Davis]

Like, damn. And then it was like three games just like that. I was like, wait, what happened? Like, I thought we had that locked up. You know what I mean?

[Draymond Green]

Yes.

[Baron Davis]

And that's the difference between being Barry Mids to being like, oh, we still solid in the top. You know What I mean?

[Draymond Green]

1,000%.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah.

[Draymond Green]

Let's go around the league a little bit. A few things happened since we were last here, starting with Kawhi's Leonard return. How do you feel about his return and how can he help this Clippers team?

[Baron Davis]

Oh, it's going down. It's going down. Once Kawhi come back. Oh, you got the beard, you got Norman Powell playing at an all star level as far as, like, shooting guards are concerned in this, in this Western Conference. Like, he probably wanted, outside of Anthony Edwards, maybe Booker, he. He putting up consistent numbers. Man, you talking about 53, 45, 90, you know what I mean? And one on one, ain't nobody stopping him getting his shot off defensively, you know, another added piece to now, you know, they defensively got a great defense with Van Gundy. And so now I think, you know, really from a Kawhi perspective, he gets to kind of be almost like the Kawhi that was made for Toronto and the Kawhi that was made for San Antonio, right? Because it's like, oh, shit, here go a solid ass team. That's great defensively. They already got an offensive weapon. They know how to. They know how to play and win with James and Norman Powell leading the charge, right? And that Zubak combination. Now Kawhi is like, oh, shit. Kawhi on the floor. Oh, shit, Kawhi is killing. You know what I mean? And like, you ain't got. Ain't nothing you can do but double team Kawhi. Are you gonna, you know, are he gonna. He gonna tear you up? You know what I mean? And so now it just creates a whole nother dynamic for the Clippers to where Kawhi is really that X factor that they needed, but during this season that if he didn't come back, they were a solid team that was going to be there in the end challenge.

[Draymond Green]

All right, so I asked you this question. So who's taking a bigger hit? Because something has to change in order for Kawhi to become Kawhi. Who's taking a bigger hit? James Harden and the way James has been playing this year or Norman? One of them ain't gonna like both of their production can't stay the same in Kawhi. Then come be Kawhi. So which one of those guys are going to take more of a hit?

[Baron Davis]

Neither one.

[Draymond Green]

Interesting.

[Baron Davis]

Neither one. Because Kawhi don't get his money and Kawhi is efficient. That just means other people like coffee, you know what I mean? Dudes who was getting wide open looks and shit like that, you ain't about to get those. Those wide open looks now about to go to James and a swing to Norman Powell, you know what I mean? Because you got a double team Kawhi. If not, he gonna light you up. And so when you look at Kawhi, it's almost like you can clock in a quick dub, you know what I mean? Oh, let me. Let me clock in. Let me add that up. And they don't really change nothing from what James doing because now James kicking to Kawhi. And so Kawhi get a chance to, like, eat off of, like, what they already built. But like, now they just got a motor to where James has done an incredible job of picking his spots because he knows he has to be a finisher and a closer now. You know what I mean? You got big shot making, Norm Powell on the right side, Kawhi on the left side. And now you got Harden, you know, hardening the zoo box screen. Pretty dangerous. And defensively efficient, too.

[Draymond Green]

No, that's for sure. I can agree with some parts of what you said. Where my opinion differs is I think James is going to take more of a hit because in the words of Beer himself, I am a system, and he is very much so a system. I just don't know if his system, the system that he is, that Kawhi is going to necessarily just plug into that system.

[Baron Davis]

I don't need a system. Kawhi is.

[Draymond Green]

I agree. James in James system, James always has the ball. And I just think with Kawhi now on the floor, that lessens how much James is going to have the ball. And again, in the eyes of I am a system that lessens how much that James is going to have the ball. Obviously, I think James is going to continue to play great, but I think he's going to have to take a step back in order if they want Kawhi to come back and be the Kawhi of od Kawhi that we know now. He's coming back from a knee injury, so it's going to take time to ramp up and stuff, and we'll see how it plays out. But if one guy is going to lose some of his production and touches, I think it'll be James. Just because I am a system in that system. He got the ball.

[Baron Davis]

James is the system. Kawhi don't need a system. And so that means Kawhi is the ultimate compliment to James, his system. Because Kawhi is Kawhi. He is a. Kawhi is on his own island. It's just a plug in. You know what I mean? It's like a. A hell of battery charge. Now, James, all he got to do is Figure out, okay, when I pass the ball to Kawhi, I'm not getting that one back, right? So I got to get Kawhi five shots a quarter. You know, when he at full. Full health. Other than that, man, James operate. He got rested. Moments now, right, where if you watch, you know, as James get older, he. He. He chills, too. He gets off the ball now. He not. He's not the Houston James. He is the system, but he's not the Houston James. So he been getting off the rock, and that's how I think Norm has been flourishing. You know, they run. They run stuff for Norm. Remember, Norm averaged 20 points with Kawhi and PG and Harden coming off the bench. So, you know, now that there's no PG and it's like, you know, not having Paul George, right, for the Clippers opened up so many shots for so many people, you know what I mean? And it allowed James to kind of be the initiator and like Kawhi to be the free spirit.

[Draymond Green]

Joe Missoula got what he wanted a couple weeks ago. He said, we need to start fighting in the NBA. Amen. Thompson got into it with Tyler Herro.

[Baron Davis]

Saw that.

[Draymond Green]

Nurkish got into it with Najee Marshall. I'm a 14 flat to this one. I'll take this one. Starting with the Aman Thompson and Tyler Hero.

[Baron Davis]

I like that one.

[Draymond Green]

Number one. Why he swing Tyler Hero like that? Like he was just a little kid? Throwing him on the couch was crazy.

[Baron Davis]

He was the dollar. He swung him like the doll that wasn't supposed to be sitting there.

[Draymond Green]

Hey, whoa. The way he swung, it was crazy. Terry Rocher came and got involved the way he should, which I respected. The way he got involved for the.

[Baron Davis]

Young fella, I didn't see. I didn't. I couldn't see all the rest of it.

[Draymond Green]

Oh, yeah. Terry Rozier came and came right in, and you gotta do that. Tyler Hero is about to be the face of that franchise, you know, and so I. I respected that. I did not quite understand they were about to play us the next day.

[Baron Davis]

He didn't want no parts, and he.

[Draymond Green]

Just out of nowhere, like, picked an argument and then swung.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah.

[Draymond Green]

And I hope that brother got the help he needs, because that was random, man. It was just like out of nowhere, like something's wrong in life. Like he must be going through a really hard time in life to just go back and swing like that. Or like possibly maybe he didn't want to play against the team that he was going to play the next day. Like, that could be a thought. Maybe it was just a little surprising that he would swing like that, but then to get pushed on the ground and cry and then start whining about it and grabbing his face. I was really shocked that you can't swing and then get pushed on the ground and, like, grab your face and cry about it. Like, once you swing, you. You. It was you that kind of said, this is what it is. And so I was just a little surprised. But that brother needs some help, and I hope he get the help.

[Baron Davis]

Come on, man. Getting that, you know, you can't just be swinging.

[Draymond Green]

Up.

[Baron Davis]

That ain't the pot. You know what I mean?

[Draymond Green]

You know what I'm saying? You just swinging out of nowhere, surprising everybody.

[Baron Davis]

Oh, my God.

[Draymond Green]

I was a little shocked by that one. I'm not gonna lie. But they was going to play against us the next day, and sometimes people get Draymond Itis, and I get it, and it's all right.

[Baron Davis]

It's okay. He was.

[Draymond Green]

He would give you a pass.

[Baron Davis]

He was definitely not. Not thinking about. He was like, damn, might as well get up out of this one.

[Draymond Green]

Let me bd. I would say, though, I'm very surprised that the guy who got swung on got suspended for more games than.

[Baron Davis]

That's weird.

[Draymond Green]

Like that. I did not understand. They said, oh, he tried to keep going in the back. Like, stop. He gets one more game suspension than the guy who swung on him. So, like, what am I to do if I get swung on? Just stand there because I'm going to get suspended. Like, that is crazy. And so I was a little shocked by I. A little bit. I was a little shocked by that. Just Najee Marshall getting suspended for more games than.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, and he the one who got swung than the.

[Draymond Green]

The guy that needs some help. Stop it. Don't. Don't toss around that word enforcer like that. That's ridiculous.

[Baron Davis]

He coming for you, though, next. Ah, what if he was a quote said, man, I should have saved that one for Draymond Green the next night. Oh, just kidding.

[Draymond Green]

You know, I don't want that smoke.

[Baron Davis]

Hey, I was watching the. The Mike Epps comedy thing when he said like that. I can imagine you outside the Phoenix arena. Like, nah, he had to see me, bro.

[Draymond Green]

You can't get out of here like that. You gotta see me. You got to see me, Jeff.

[Baron Davis]

All right, man. Continuing the Suns as Bradley Bill to come off the bench. 40, 60 million. He's a starter. As someone who's been asked to come off the bench earliest this season Bro, do you think this will help the Suns and does this make sense at all?

[Draymond Green]

It may help in the interim, right? Like, it may help if they want to win at the level that they want to win, that Bradley Bill is one of their best players. Tough to bring him off the bench, you know, and he had 25 the first game coming off the bench, which is great. But like, that game when he have six, it ain't going to necessarily be as pleasant, you know what I'm saying? And so shout out to Brad of being a professional and going to the bench and coming off the bench for 25 and the first time he did it since 2016. But like I said, I don't. I. I think, yes, it could help in the interim, but to win at the level that I think that team is expected to win at, which is to be contenders, I don't think you can necessarily be a contender with Bradley Bill coming off the bench on that team.

[Baron Davis]

All right, man, you know how I motivated Doc Rivers this year. Whoever is the Phoenix coach, get your shit together, bro. Man, get your together. You know what I'm saying? Like, get your together, man. What? Like you said, like, how you gonna win? And Bradley Bill, colleague, man, if you can't coach the three superpowers, you know what I mean? Or superstars and figure out like, that's your job, what the hell does him coming off the bench got to do with the first four minutes anyway? Cause he coming right in, you know what I mean? It's like, man, that's. It's fool's gone, you know what I mean? Because to your point, when he get 12 or he gets 6 and he can't really catch the rhythm, he got 25. Cause he was just mad. The way you start the game is the way you want to finish the game. And that's the confidence in them dudes to figure that shit out. Now, throughout the course of the game, you got a sub. I'm bringing KD out. Bill is your turn. Booker is you and Katie turn. Booker, turn. Katie turn. You know what I mean? And like, you gotta understand as a coach how to get them dudes in flow. You got four quarters, you know what I mean? They can all get they 15, 20 shots, like. But I don't know about this coming off the bench. This dude make too much money to be coming off the bench. What is we doing, bro? That is the most disrespect. Like, who's starting in front of us?

[Draymond Green]

Facts. You feel what I'm saying?

[Baron Davis]

Who's. Who is Starting in front of them. And I would like to understand what's the rationale, right? You put your best players on the floor. Ain't no way Bradley Bill coming off nobody bench to be no 6 man or none of that shit when he's bona fide and a proven playmaker. And the piece that y'all went and traded for to go get. All right, man, I'm gonna take a TV timeout. We can talk about something a little bit more from the TV analyst side. This week, our boy Charles Barkley is discussing Anthony Edwards. Charles Barkley, I quote, I think Anthony Edwards has regressed. Anthony Edwards, on the other hand, recently expressed frustration about being double teamed and scores career high 53 points and a loss to Detroit. We know they are underachieving. Do you agree with Chuck?

[Draymond Green]

I don't think Anthony Edwards is regressing. I don't think Anthony Edwards has played the way everybody expected him to come back. Playing from going to a Western Conference finals with the hunger, with the tenacious attitude that he has. Anyway, I don't think he's done that. But regress, he's gotten better actually, as a player. His jump shot's way better. So I wouldn't say regress. I don't think that's the right word. If I was even going to make this argument, I think I would have went more along the lines of like, yo, is Anthony Edwards content because he went to the conference finals? I would take more that approach if I was going to do that. Rather than like, Anthony Edwards has regrets because that's just not true. He hasn't regressed one bit. Yeah, I would just say more of that. But in saying that, removing a player like Cat is a big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big deal. And it takes some time to figure out a move like that. Like, it can take some time to figure that out. I think, you know, you see the last two games he had 53, then he had 37, you know, averaging 45 over his last two games. And I saw that he complained about the double teams. The reality is that's just Ant being Ant. Like Ant is going to say whatever he thinks, but he going to get double team. Like you can't stop him one on one. So that's going to happen and he should expect to see more of that. And his coaches better figure out how to negate those double teams. But they ain't going away. You talk about losing a guy like Carl Anthony Towns, that even opened up the possibility for double teams because you, you can help off A little more because he's. The way he shoot the ball. You. I mean, excuse me, you couldn't help off as much because of how quick Cat's trigger is and how well he shoot the ball. And so I think they still have some adjustments to make. Like I told Ant at the. At the Olympics after the game, after they won the gold medal, don't be a moment guy. Like, don't be one of those guys that had their moment that went to the conference finals that we never hear from again. And I don't think he has the attitude, but, you know, he got to take that next step.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, I would definitely.

[Draymond Green]

I believe that he will. I do. At least.

[Baron Davis]

I agree. I think it's not regress. Right. It's more like he hasn't taken the next step. I think he's gotten better. But what is. What does that mean for someone who's so talented and, you know, huge expectation? I think my challenge to him is he hasn't figured out how to get 53 and dominate a game. He hasn't figured out to walk on the court and say, not only am I the best player, I'm the most talented, I'm the most athletic, and I can win this game based on my ability, my know how, my knowledge, time, and score. I think he's still very similar to Wimby, right? Is he's learning the game, he's learning how to play the game, but he's not learning yet to dominate the game or to be a winner in game situations. You know what I mean? And so it goes to like, yeah, he ballin'he's. A baller. He can't be stopped. But it's also like, he has to figure out how to make Julius Randle valuable for him in a different way than Cat was. Because you don't have Cat now to say all that, not having Cat and having Julius Randall, like, you got to figure out how this dude gonna compliment you because the floor is different, the spacing is different, the style is different, the way Julius Randle want to get his shots, his touches. And so it's different now. You got Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert. You know what I mean? Conley? Like, it looked like the same team, but you don't fear them beating you from the outside. You don't fear them beating you at the rim. You don't fear their height or their size. And so now you have. You have nowhere to hide or disappear or your game for other people to really compliment you, to step up, because all eyes are on you. Right, because it's just a different. Like, the spacing is different. The energy to close out on everybody else. It's a shorter closeout or it's a slower closeout, right? Which allow you to get double teams. So I think for him, he gotta understand, like, there's a game within the game within the game, right? And for what you're saying, don't be the moment, dude. It's like, you can get back to the air, but you're not gonna get back to the conference finals with Karl Anthony Towns because you don't play there no more. So stop complaining about Randle. Make that shit work. Make Rudy Gobert do something. You know what I mean? And figure out, like, figure out how to be the centerpiece of everything they need without saying, like, I'm passing too much, I'm scoring too much. I'm missing that too much. It's like, we don't need none of that.

[Draymond Green]

No. No doubt. I feel you. But the word regress is not on.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, he's not.

[Draymond Green]

I've played against Anthony Edwards this year. I can tell you for certain, he ain't regressed one bit. He come down talking to you like, oh, Dre, you think I. My. I'm telling you, Dre, my three better.

[Baron Davis]

Wow.

[Draymond Green]

I told you. Yeah. Y'all ain't gonna guard me like that. My three is nice. Like, he talking to you while he's shooting it. He ain't regrets.

[Baron Davis]

His game got better. His game awareness, basketball iq. As far as, like, taking that next. Next step to be a superstar and be somebody that's. He's not feared. His 53 points, his points are not feared enough. You know what I mean? And so, like, there needs to be an opportunity for him to walk in the game and be like, I can beat you score 53. I can beat you scoring 30. I can beat you score. Like, I can just win this game because I got control. And I think that's the situation he's in now in Minnesota, because you don't have somebody with that high level of confidence that feel like, I'm one of them ones, too. You know what I mean? And so you don't have that to feed off of. Everybody gotta feed off that shit from you. And so you gotta be more responsible about, once again, how do you play the game until it's time for you to be a winner? You know what I mean? You may have to James Harden this shit.

[Draymond Green]

I agree. So I don't know. We'll see. We got them next week, so we shall See, we got a new segment on the show called what. What's that Tweet? It'll be explaining the reasoning behind certain tweets. To kick things off, let's look at a repost from bd. I was surprised to see Jay Z performing by wearing a Baron Davis jersey. When did that take place? Also was like, when was the first time you ever met ho?

[Baron Davis]

That was in. We was in college at ucla. Shout out to the homie Hip hop, the homie Ivory. They came by, you know, they was, you know, hip hop, a big basketball fan. And he was like one of the youngest a RS at Rockefeller. So he was like, yo, you wanna meet Jay? Like, jay, wanna rock your jersey for the hard knock life? You've been coming out in different people jersey. I was like, what, bro? We hopped in the whip, hit down Sunset Cafe, mans. It was Jay. Dame Dash was there. He wasn't that nice to us, you know what I mean? But Jay was hella cool, you know what I mean? He was young. He was like in, you know, it was a Hard Knock Life tour. But he was like, yo, I was like, yo, I got a jersey for you. I gave him the white one. I gave him the black UCLA jersey. Cause me and Earl Watson, for the first time, we designed. We. We told the coach, like, yo, we should make black jersey. So they. We had a UCLA black jersey. I gave him the UCLA black jersey. They invited us to the concert, man. We was backstage, like, that's college kids, you know what I mean? You got red math. You know, you backstage with, you know, a young Ja Rule, dmx, hov. And it was. I was like, man, I thought he was gonna bring me on stage and shit. He didn't do that, you feel me? I was backstage, I was just waiting for my moment.

[Draymond Green]

Like, hey, bro, you know what I mean?

[Baron Davis]

I'm big out here too, dog. Bring me out on the stage. But when he showed up with the jersey, that was just everybody with nuts, you know? And so one of the moments that he kind of won the crowd over because he knew his jersey to wear. You feel me?

[Draymond Green]

You saved hoe that night, huh? Yeah.

[Baron Davis]

Come on, come on. I took the whole team too. We had a. We had a nice little time, man. We had no nil bread. But imagine. I couldn't imagine if we did.

[Draymond Green]

Yeah, y'all had that illegal bread.

[Baron Davis]

It's cool, you know, stocks and bonds. Oh, man. On New Year's Eve, you talk about OKC saying chat out and shake and hoop.

[Draymond Green]

Really?

[Baron Davis]

Well, what game were you watching? And do you believe they are the best team in the NBA? Also, what do you think about SGA for mvp?

[Draymond Green]

What I was talking about was when I just said Chet, I said shaking. Really hoop. And then I said Chet out. The reason what I was thinking when I said chet out. Because I was watching that game and I was just like, man, this team is good as hell.

[Baron Davis]

And Chet out and chat out.

[Draymond Green]

Like, I'm just sitting there like, huh? Like chat.

[Baron Davis]

I don't.

[Draymond Green]

And they this good.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Draymond Green]

And so that's what I was saying. And then Shay can hoot really well. It's just like, you know, you watch Shay, he ain't really doing nothing that's blowing you away. Except he may make a move here or there, you know, but like, it ain't like it's the most speed or the highest jumper, you know what I'm saying? Or like the most flawless jump shot you ever seen. It ain't none of that. Except he gonna create all the space he want.

[Baron Davis]

Oh, my gosh.

[Draymond Green]

He gonna get wherever he want. He gonna get whatever shot he wants at whatever pace he wants to do it at. Like, it's crazy. And I was just watching. I'm like, yo, this dude, like, just simply put, he who really? Well, like, I'm not about to sit here and try to break this down. I'm not about to go shaking hoop. Yeah. And that's just what I. I was watching them play against the Timberwolves, actually against Ant man. And the way they came back in that game and was just like so poised and like, just watching Shay do what he do, I'm like, wow, this is crazy, bro. I can't say they're the best team in the NBA. That's Boston. Until someone proves otherwise, the best team in the NBA is the Boston Celtics. I think. I think OKC is real. But until further notice, the best team in the NBA is the Boston Celtics. Until you can beat them and dethrone them, that's the best team. And they got the same team from last year, so it ain't like they won a championship and lost big pieces. Until you can beat them, that's the best team in the NBA, period.

[Baron Davis]

That's how it always works, Period.

[Draymond Green]

Oh, man. Before we get outta here, I got five on it. Next up, I got five on it. Where BD discussed his five players that he's hot high on. Start the new year. Who are your top five players in the league right now?

[Baron Davis]

Okay, we just talk about sga, man, because he's just on the tear. You know, this in. In no particular order. I got.

[Draymond Green]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Baron Davis]

Is this order?

[Draymond Green]

It's a particular order.

[Baron Davis]

Oh, wow. This. Okay. This is my particular. Okay, this is. This is how I now sit.

[Draymond Green]

Mvp. Like this. This is it.

[Baron Davis]

Number one.

[Draymond Green]

Ain't no particular order.

[Baron Davis]

Sga front runner, candidate number two. Number two, Joker, just because. And what else? Number three, Tatum, which is kind of like a tool because Joker, they're not one. So, so many Tatum have an MVP year. Boston, you know, just kind of like making that run. But the way he closing out games is like, really on some like, superstar MVP level type shit.

[Draymond Green]

Yeah, yeah.

[Baron Davis]

Giannis with just like. It was because of. He decided that he's going to turn the Minnesota Milwaukee Bucks around, right? And like, Giannis is back to Giannis, you know what I mean? And doing what he do. And then number five for me is, I would say a sleeper in this whole thing is James Harden. Look at what the Clippers have done up until this point in the season, you know what I mean? The beard is back, and I would say back better than ever. Taking that two years in Philadelphia as a playmaker would embiid and allowed him to, like, now figure out, okay, now I know how to read. He redefined his system, and now it's working for the Clippers. And, you know, he's just still one of the toughest dudes to guard, you know, in that pick and roll. All right, so I am a system.

[Draymond Green]

And I am Draymond Green and he is Baron Davis. And that is a wrap from this episode of the Draymond Green show with my dog BD.

[Baron Davis]

The Volume.