Draymond Green, a proven NBA champion, has chosen a favorite to win the 2024 NBA Finals.
Speaking on the “Point Game Podcast,” the Warriors forward and four-time champion shared how the Dallas Mavericks possess all the qualities of a championship-winning team.
And if anyone is qualified to determine that, it’s definitely Green.
“Honestly, the team I love right now is Dallas,” Green told Point Game’s John Wall and CJ Toledano before the start of the Western Conference finals. “And the reason I love Dallas is because they have all the pieces you need to win the championship.
“They have wing defenders, they have big men and a couple of big men that can rotate along the way. Dwight Powell doesn’t even play. Dwight Powell is a very useful big man in the NBA. (He) doesn’t see court. You know, when you look at the depth that they have, you know, you have Josh Green coming off the bench and he can mix things up.”
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In an effort to build his case, Green also alluded to Tim Hardaway Jr.’s threat, despite a down year, off the bench, specifically the guard’s shooting skills that can quickly change the fate of any game.
The Golden State forward also believes that part of the secret to the Mavericks’ success lies on the shoulders of their stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 66 of Dallas’ 108 points during their victory in Game 1 of the finals conference on Wednesday night.
However, nothing will determine Dallas’ results like Dončić’s mentality, according to Green.
“You know, when you look at Luka, when you look at Kyrie and what they bring to the game, you see that they are two of the most undefendable guys in our league,” Green said. “You know, on any given night they can both hit 40. But I think they have the pieces to do it. Now. I think this will fall on Luka’s mentality.
“Like when I see Luka sometimes this year, I’m like, ‘Damn, is Luka ready to win a championship?’ He’s defending, he’s competing. But are you going to do that when things are (not) going well, you know, when things are not going very well, when a team is having success, are you going to continue competing the same way?
“You know, and I think that’s the next step for Luka. And I know he’s more than capable of that because he can do it in spurts. So how much longer can you put up with that?”
Green, the Warriors’ on-court leader for more than a decade, concluded his case by highlighting Irving’s revitalization as a leader after notable declines in his career, which have placed him in an unfavorable position.
“And then also, I think Kyrie’s leadership,” Green added. “Man, no one wants to give that man credit for all the things he’s been through. Kyrie’s leadership has been stellar.
“When you watched the growth of a young man like Kyrie who thought he was a leader, failed miserably as a leader and then came out and said, ‘I failed, I know why.’
“You watch him make the corrections. The only thing you can do is respect.”
With just three wins separating the Mavericks and their first Finals appearance in the Dončić era, Green’s prediction doesn’t seem too bad.
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