For Draymond Green, there are two types of NBA players: Those who show up in the playoffs, and those who do not.
After the Warriors went up 3-0 in their first round matchup against the Denver Nuggets last week, Green made that perfectly clear postgame.
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And after the Warriors finished off the Nuggets in Game 5 on Wednesday with a 102-98 victory at Chase Center, Green -- who put up 11 points, six assists, three blocks and two rebounds in the closeout game -- was interviewed on NBC Sports Bay Area and repeated a similar line.
“I told y’all last week, some guys are made for the playoffs and some not,” Green said. “That’s the best way I can explain it to you.”
Green was answering a question about why he shoots 3-pointers so much better in the playoffs than during the regular season. But he might as well have been talking generally. Green had a game-high plus-minus of plus-12, playing defense on Nikola Jokić while also running the sets on offense.
It was unclear who Green was referring to when he talked about guys who aren’t made for the playoffs. But he was certainly talking about himself as someone who is absolutely made for the big moments.
Golden State Warriors
“I love this time of year,” Green said. “I tend to get more aggressive. But that’s just a mindset.”
Green averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists during the regular season. But in the playoffs, his scoring has bumped up to an average of 9.6 points to go along with 7.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds. He still has a pass-first mentality, but Green is noticeably more aggressive on offense in the playoffs.
“It’s the best time of year,” Green said. “I love this time of year. You get to play this game for what we all go for at the end, and that’s a championship.
“You get to playoff basketball, it’s more physical. Referees let you bump a little more. That’s right in my wheelhouse. I absolutely love it. I love to come up here and step up to the challenge.”
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At age 32, Green looks just as effective as he was in the early part of his prime, when he helped the Warriors make five straight finals from 2015 to 2019.
Three years removed from playing on the big stage, Green has been waiting for his moment for a long time.
“In the playoffs, everybody’s watching all over the world,” Green said. “There’s 16 teams left, then 8 teams. I absolutely cherish that and I'm looking forward to going on to the next round.”