Draymond Green probably doesn’t have much love for the Celtics at this juncture, but he clearly respects the Warriors’ NBA Finals opponent.
Green spent a good chunk of his availability at Wednesday’s NBA Finals Media Day praising Boston, which stands in the way of Golden State winning its fourth championship in the last eight seasons. Among the kind words was a salute to the Celtics for consistently giving their all on the defensive end.
“You respect and admire that everyone is defending,” Green told reporters, as transcribed by ASAP Sports. “You know, there’s not a guy who comes on the floor who isn’t giving 110% on that side of the ball. You have to give a lot of respect to Ime (Udoka). That’s not a much different squad than we’ve seen the past few years, or at least two years or three. It’s not a much different team.
“Yet, you know, more has been required of them, and they have answered that bell. So you have to give a lot of credit to him. You have to give a lot of credit to Marcus Smart, who is their leader on that side of the ball. In order to have everyone come in and play, there has to be some leadership there that’s holding that all together, that’s holding somebody responsible. And to me, I think that’s Marcus Smart. I think that plays a huge role in it. I appreciate that more than anything.”
Green and the Warriors will experience the Celtics’ smothering defense first-hand Thursday night when Boston and Golden State kick off their best-of-seven series. Tipoff for Game 1 from Chase Center is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
