Draymond casts shadow on Celtics’ Horford for final preparation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green won’t hold back the Boston Celtics.
After being on the receiving end of NSFW sings in the TD Garden and beating the Celtics in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals, why should he?
In his first four trips to the Finals, Green and the Warriors each faced LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Tuesday, Green was asked by JJ Redick and Tommy Alter of “The Old Man and the Threepodcast on how to prepare to fight the Celtics compared to the Cavs.
“It’s easier because we’re not playing LeBron James,” Green said, laughing from the crowd in New York City. “They asked me a question in a press conference like ‘How do the IQs score against Boston vs LeBron’ and it’s like you shut up. What are we talking about? It’s easier if you don’t play LeBron James who is the ultimate mastermind in our game. So you don’t play that chess game with him. It’s a lot easier to play a chess game against someone else, but it’s different against LeBron.
And Bron can prepare his boys for what’s to come. Al Horford couldn’t prepare them for what’s to come, so you know when you go in there’s no disrespect to Al Horford.”
Horford, 36, has plenty of NBA experience and accomplishments on his resume as a five-time All-Star. However, he appeared in 141 playoff games over his career before making a one-way ticket to the finals – a longer streak than any other player in the history of the league.
According to Green, the inexperience showed. Even when Horford did an apparent impression of Greentensing his muscles after scoring a bucket in the closing minutes of Game 1, which Boston won 120-108.
“Well, Al Horford did this in Game 1 too,” said Green, bowing like Horford. “Then he did it in Game 6 and I laughed at him and they lost.
“But they didn’t know what to expect, and when you’re there in the final five times, you understand what to do with your family. You understand what to do with your friends. You understand all these things. I put my kids on a totally different floor of the hotel because you have to stay locked up at that time. And so I knew they weren’t really ready and prepared for that moment.”
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Green and the Warriors were clearly prepared. They came back from disappointment in Game 1 to win four of the next five games and take home another title to the Bay.
With another championship ring to his name, Green can tell that conversation throughout the outdoor season.