The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Draymond Green Show w/Baron Davis: Reaction to flagrant foul in Rockets-Warriors + Steph Curry deserves more calls

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

Draymond Green and Baron Davis break down the flagrant foul that Dray received in the Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets game and emphasize how Steph Curry deserves more free throws. Draymond shares how Steph is locked in because he wants to play meaningful basketball in the NBA playoffs. Draymond talks about the chance of winning his second Defensive Player of the Year, which has motivated him to make key defensive plays, like the steal on Luka Doncic during the Los Angeles Lakers game. Plus, they talk about the importance of team contributions from players like Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody. Baron Davis discusses the intensity of current playoff positioning and why matchups matter more. Off the court, they show major love to Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard as a first-ballot Hall of Famers. They reflect on Carmelo’s Knicks era, explaining why Carmelo deserves to have his Denver Nuggets jersey retired. They give Dwight Howard his flowers, talk about his dominance, and how surprising he was left off the NBA’s Top 75 list. Baron responds to Steve Francis to close it out, while he and Draymond weigh in on JJ Redick’s take about the Most Improved Player award. This one’s loaded—tap in. Timeline: 2:30 Intro  10:30 Flagrant Foul vs. Rockets   20:15 Steph Curry Deserves More Calls  28:00 Last Week of the NBA Season  30:45 Chance of Winning Second DPOY   33:30 Steal on Luka Dončić  38:45  How Pod, Kuminga, and Moody Have Been Playing  44:45 Western Conference Playoff Race  48:30 Why Carmelo Anthony Should Have His Jersey Retired in Denver  58:30 Dwight Howard’s Greatness  1:11:00 Baron Davis Responds to Steve Francis  1:21:15 JJ Redick on the Most Improved Player Award (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #Volume #Herd Follow The Draymond Green Show on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/draymondshow https://x.com/DraymondShow https://www.facebook.com/people/Draym... https://www.tiktok.com/@draymondgreen...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The volume. What's up, everybody. Welcome back to the Draymond Green show with my brother, Baron Davis. How you feeling, my dog? I'm good, bro. Just coming off my first coaching A. You win 11 and under you.

Our first tournament. Shout out to the boys. Cali, Elite, L.A. Unified basketball. What's up with you? My dog, you've been balling, man. I appreciate it, bro. But first 11 you. that was your first tournament

that was our very first tournament and y'all won the first one yeah we won the championship by like 30 our y'all elite or was the competition not that good the competition was good I think it was a mix of both right I didn't know like I wasn't

expecting what type of team I was going to have right outside of like my kids they friends and like some of the kids I coached in flag football but like them kids got gang like real game real game like left hand layups, Euro step, you know,

everybody's shooting threes. I was watching the baby warriors. I was just trying to get them to play defense, man, and pass the ball to each other. Because, you know, these young dudes, they be looking for them to stay. Everybody want to shoot threes. Everybody want to, you know, get the highlights, dribble between,

you know, two or three people and make a highlight. So I was just on them about defense, contestant shots, rebounding. and passing the ball. That was it. And we won. I was happy for him.

That's fire. Your son, nice? Yeah, he's going to be nice. He's good. He's good. He's a good compliment to the team. He had four threes in the championship, though. Oh, he shoot that thing.

Yeah, I guess. Point guard. I mean, point guard. He could play point. He can play two. My whole team is guards. Okay. They're all guards.

Yeah, I got all guards. I need some big kids. I need some bruises. I think at that age, at the age of 11, I think every basketball player should be a guard. Yep. Because even if you grow and you become a big man to have guard skills as a big,

even if you grow up and become a back-to-the-basket big man, to still have guard skills like in your back-downs, your ball-handling, like, say you grow up to be a back-to-the, because I think at some point or another, like, obviously we see what Joker's on. and those type of guys, but at some point or another, like basketball going cycles, back to the big man is going to come back, and they're 11 years old and their lifetime,

back to the basket, big man will definitely come back. And say you grow, like you're 11 now, but you grow to be 16 and 611, back to the basket big. If you play point guard as a kid or just guard as a kid, it helps with your ball handling, but it also helps you see the floor. So say you become a guy that's double team, like to have that background,

but I was a guard, you can see different things. You can handle pressure differently. So I think that's important anyway, like, regardless of size. All my kids are going to have guard skills and post skills. I know you're defensive, I know you're going for a defensive player in a year,

but I have to tell you, there's no guard and beatie. in the post, not even Draymond. That's the same, BD. Not even, that is not insane. I'm a hell of a post defender.

There was no way. That is not insane. You at 6-2 was scoring on me in the post. Draymond. No way. I'm gonna call you out when you get ready to work out

to go back to camp. I'm coming in the gym, bro. Post ones. You're gonna be like, you're gonna be like, you know, I've never, I've never seen somebody

with this much. Post activity. You're going to throw your back out. How are you feeling, man? Well, I'm tired, bro. Honestly. I can imagine. I'm exhausted.

I need, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, showing up to the plane, Florida Phoenix. Chill out, bro. I'm last five days, I'm crazy. We flew to Memphis. It flew from played in Memphis, flew from Memphis to L.A.

Game in L.A. come home on the back-to-back-back off a two-week trip is unheard of. That's crazy. Back-to-back to Denver versus Denver at that. It ain't like they gave us like some garbage. Denver on the back-to-back. Yeah, I got the heat. Man, and then, you know, obviously, then having a 5 o'clock game, 5.30 game today came fast as hell. Those are the worst games ever.

People don't understand how off your grind, off your schedule you are with those type. Those in the 1230 games. Throw your whole schedule off. 1230. It's like right there smack in the middle of when you would be napping so you kind of can't get a nap. It's weird, right? It's weird. But now, so honestly, I'm tired, but nonetheless, outside of that, I feel great.

I think, you know, just. Yeah. Competing at a high level. I feel great, brother. I'm healthy. Covering. You're covering. Firing around.

Talking shit. I think you got your nightmare thing. You're working on your nightmare. You're finishing move. I'm waiting on a nightmare opportunity. I'm waiting on a nightmare opportunity. But, yeah, bro. I think I feel good about the dove.

It's that time. And I feel good about the dogs. It's that time of year where, like, oh, man, it's like how many games left? You're thinking like that. But, you know, like, man, we got to put our heads down and start mining these last four games, right? To see where we shake out. And then you get that new life. And guess what?

An opportunity to have a 50-win season. I used to, I'll be honest, there was a point of time in my life. Not long ago, where I took 51 seasons completely for granted. Yeah. Oh, yeah, like, for sure, whatever. We got an opportunity to get to a 50-win season. I'll take it, so they need to win these next four. But before we get into the show, remember to subscribe to the Dremont Green Show

with Baron Davis so you don't miss any episode. soles. And don't forget to follow us on all social media at Jemont Show. All right, Dove Nation, what's happening? The Rockets. That game was very physical. The flagrant, hey, I saw that Flagher and Foulcar. Oh, my God. That was wild. I've never heard someone winding up to make a layup in front of somebody. Man, that, that right there. Once I saw that, once I saw that, once I saw that dog, I was like, okay, something is not right. Like, first of all, it's a file and a end one. Nobody, nobody tells you to stick your nose in grown folks business, meaning you don't lead with your face and you off balance and you filed. So I don't understand how

you got an offensive file at one. Then on top of that, they said it was a flagrant file. then they said you wind up and with force. Like, how else do you go to the basket? How else do you go to the rim like this? Oh, my gosh. Because I ain't got MJ bouncing. I just can't sit in the air like this. Anybody else.

Like, that was one of those. Anybody else, it would have been, oh, you okay? Like, they would have called an N-1. They may have called in an office file. But because it was Draymond Green, they said, it was a wind up with force. That's defamatory. And you were one step away.

And you made the layup. Man, that's wow. That actually changes that game. That game goes, it's a huge play. Huge play. Right? Because it, yeah, because it takes all the time away. I'm watching the game.

So I'm watching everybody reaction on the bench. And it became a debate. Right? It became almost like a debate and they deflated all the energy. It did. And it was my fifth file. And it was a fifth file. That's crazy.

That's crazy. And the technical file. And a technical file. Because I want the position to. Because in that case, the Karen Lincoln or dunk was a flag. That's a file. Flagre. Like, I don't know, man.

That's a flagrant. That's a flagrant file. But that's to be a flagrant file. For it to not even be an one, number one, he's running underneath me and then don't jump. So for it not to be an and one is actually crazy. Yeah, and slip. Almost slip. It's almost a slip. All right.

That's fine. Cool. Moving on. To then get a flagrant file, the flagrant file wasn't necessarily what killed me. What killed me was the description. explanation. This man, and the way he said it,

the way he announced it. He wound up. Like, like he busted you before cry. Deliver with force. Like, I'm just not sure how else to go to the basket. That was ill.

Yeah, definitely changed the game. But nonetheless. That changed a lot. I think, After that, it definitely was deflated, and we just didn't have enough in the tank. I think the Denver game was really a scheduled loss. Denver's sitting in San Francisco waiting on us to get back. We get back home off a two-week trip and have a game the same day.

We got home. I didn't make it home to like 3 o'clock that morning. And nonetheless, we dug deep and we found a way to get that game. game, I think all of that eventually caught us tonight. Like the energy. It's just legs, dead legs. Like we gave, well, yeah, exactly. Like, first quarter, I could barely get up and down.

Court my legs were so dead. And we go back on office, I'm just standing back there watching, like, shoot it, shoot it. So I could be back here on defense. But it was, you know, nonetheless, though, you got to get them some credit. You know, they stepped up. They made some big, they do. They made some big shots. Jaylen Green had a really good game.

Dylan Brooks played well. A man Thompson, you know, I've been a fan of him. He's so athletic. And he's just getting more and more confident. He's starting to see more and more pictures develop. So I think he really, he really the key to that team. And then Jabari had a good game off the bench. You know, so you got to get them Shangoon play well.

So you got to get them some credit. They played well across the board. They got talent, man. They got talent. They're young. They athletic. They got a lot of skilled players. They're tough.

They play tough. They play tough. They don't back down. That's what I like about them the most is they're not backing down to nobody. Backs. But if, you know, if this is a team that we see in the playoffs, I like how we match up. I like we got experience in the playoffs.

Like I like, I love our chances we see this same in the playoffs, but they do play is tough. The finals are here and the only thing for certain. It's the last time to bet on college basketball this season. We've got amazing games. Duke and Houston, wow. Auburn, Florida, double while. Been an amazing ride to get here.

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Void in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng.com slash audio. After the game, Jimmy Butler mentioned Steph Curry that I've never seen an individual get filed more than he gets filed. And one thing I found interesting was most of it is off the ball. Please break that down and why is that true?

Well, it's definitely true because I think they first step just as much off the ball, if not more, than they do on them. Because off the ball is where he causes so much having. and Jimmy with the statement that he made is very true. I think he's always being grabbed and held off the ball because you don't want to get a step behind

so everybody just grab and hold him. And, you know, it's interesting because Loon got an offensive file tonight where he was going in for the screen. And Loon said something to the rough and the rough said something back. I said, yeah. I said the problem is it is an offensive file.

I said, but you're just letting the guy hold him. So in order for him to get a screen, he actually have to go try to wedge in between this guy grabbing him. Right. And Steph, he has to go try to wedge in between that because he's just being hell. So, yeah, you can call the offensive file every time, but if he's just going to hold him,

then what is he to do as a screener? You know what I'm saying? Like, you really can't get a shot. a clean screen because he's just grabbing a hold of him and you're not going to call the first file. Right. So, no, Jimmy's is 1,000% true.

Like, Steph gets filed more than anybody. And it is oftentimes off the ball because you know as soon as he take off, if you're a half a step off his body, it creates a domino effect because all he need is a half inch to get the shot off

and it's a great look. So they just grab him. And he just keep moving and keep moving and they just grab him and hold him. It's interesting. It's definitely interesting to say at least. Yeah, my goal for Steph in the playoffs is 10 free throws a game.

He should get 10 free throws a game. He arms them, that's for sure. He definitely, but I want him to average 10 free throws a game just because he does get filed a lot. And I think, you know, a lot of times the referees just kind of let it slide, right? The grabbing, the holding, you know, jumping under on when he shoot,

like people do whatever they can. And sometimes they let that go because you're greatness for capacity outside of, you know, no contact. You can't hit a shooter. You can't have contact with a shooter. You can't grab somebody coming around the screen. And when I watch the game, he get bumped, held, grab, pushed off his mark more than any, any shooter that I've ever seen in the league

not get those fouls. The next four games. One second. One second. You know, I think Steph also gets punished for two things. One is he don't talk to the referees. Right. Like so they know they're not going to get cut out.

They know he ain't going to say much. They say something every now and then, but he don't say anything. And I think that actually, he gets penalized for that. I also think he gets penalized because he's not a flopper. Right. So he don't flop to sell calls. And so it's almost as if, oh, he's not getting filed or it don't matter because he ain't showing that he getting filed. And I think in this league, we reward flopping.

like and we put a flopping rule in that you never see get called right like the flop never gets called ever it does not get called all year but it's actually a rule you know but we reward flopping and flailing in this league and stuff does neither and so I actually think it ultimately it doesn't really hurt him because he still do what he do, but it hurts them as far as getting the call and getting to the free throw line because he don't flop and he don't sell the calls. Yeah, speaking of Steph, you know, y'all been locked in. Steph been locked in before this Rockets game, of course, you know, 52 points versus the Grizzlies,

12-3s, 37 points against the Lakers, 36 against the Nuggets, 7-3s. He got an edge right now, right? You know, you see stuff locked in. What does that mean? Like, what are you seeing on a daily basis? That's getting him hyped up for these games, especially on your run. What's changing stuff?

I think he said it early on. I think, number one, you know, him having, being forced to take that week off help just to kind of get your legs back underneath him. But number two, we're riding the thicker thing. He's like, we're right in the hunt. Right. We control our own destiny. Like, to guarantee ourselves a playoff spot.

He said it a few months ago, I just want to play meaningful basketball. And after every game, he'd be like, he looked at a couple of coaches and he'd say, meaningful basketball. Like, yeah. And so I don't think it's necessarily something that's hyping him up per se, more so than the opportunity to play. meaningful basketball basketball games that really means something. And, you know, like us going to the playoffs is a very

realistic thing. Like, so let's, you know, you start to ramp up to that, you know, getting to that level of where you know you need to be in a couple weeks. And so I think, you know, it's just kind of that time. He'd definitely been locked in. And he, you know,

he, Steph also, we all do. I don't with a high, but you get to a point to where you put everything goes down and it's just like, all right, it's just this now. And, you know, that's, it's around that time. So he definitely locked in,

playing with that edge and focus. You know, I'm just, like, what matters is the games. And it's showing. I think he's making an argument to snatch that last spot on that, on that all. NBA team, first team,

putting up a real case. Absolutely. Especially just the year you've been having and the consistency, you know, how we talk about, you know, the importance of consistency and how much we value consistency throughout the year

and also the growth. And so finishing the year strong is going to be super important. And this last week of the season is even more important because you got the suns, the spurs, the Blazers, and the clippers. You know, everything that's happening with you on the floor,

when you guys play, when you don't play, is really going to determine who's going to be four, eight, ten, right? What is the team thinking, you know, how are you looking at this week? What is this last week of the season mean to you? Well, like, you know, obviously we are in prime position to, not only get in the playoffs, but we could possibly be the third or fourth seat,

like possibly get a home court series to start the playoffs, which a week and a half ago wasn't even a realistic goal. But things happened. Memphis lost some games, Denver lost some games, Lakers lost a couple games. And, you know, that's a realistic thing now.

And so I think that's the focus. And the focus isn't like, we're not like, yo, let's get the four or let's get the three. We're just like, yo, let's win every game. Right. Control what we can control. What we can control is winning every game.

And so that's the focus, man. Going into Phoenix, they're coming off a long road trip. You know, they've lost quite a few in a row. You know, like we want to, when a team is down, you got to step on them. You don't want to get that team life. And so that's got to be the goal there. The Spurs, that's got to be the goal.

Like, you've got to be supposed to, you've got to win the games that you're supposed to win. We're supposed to win that game. You've got to take care of business. You go to the Blazers. They're playing a lot better basketball as of late, you know, but that's a game that we're supposed to win. You've got to go win the games you're supposed to win.

And then the Clippers. It can wind up being y'all in the Clippers. I said that, remember I said that the Clippers, it can wind up being y'all in the Clippers, so that could be a good snapshot of what you could see in the Western Conference finals, the way both teams is playing. 1,000% and so, you know, we got to,

that's a game they're coming into our place in a game that's going to mean something for sure. You know, and we got to take care of business. So, so. Four games that, you know, not easy games, but no game in the NBA is ever easy. Power through. Four games that we buckle down and go get. Yeah.

You got to go. Power through. Power through. I'm going to show up at that clipper game for show, for show. I got to be at that game. That's going to be a super important game, especially the last one of the season. I'm looking forward to that one. I will be in the building.

Then we could check Mesquil. Yes, let's get some mesky. Let's celebrate the season. I also want to congratulate you, bro, on winning defensive player of the month. I appreciate that. You started this pod together. You know, I've been campaigning for you to be defensive player the year. You've been bawling.

You've been playing your ass off. On the defensive side, I'm talking about showing up, like a defensive player to year, supposed to show up, to win your second defensive. player of the year. Like, talk about that. Like, how is that motivating you? Especially these last 20 games, right? The last month and a half is just you stepped it up a notch, right?

A couple notches. Talk about, you know, defensive player the year and what that means to you and how that motivate you. To how the opportunity to just put my name in the hat to compete for. It's everything. It's extremely motivated. You know, these opportunities don't come around all the time. And I think, you know, I was, I felt like all year I was having a first team,

all defense caliber type of year, all year anyway. I think our defense, regardless of what's happened this season throughout the different parts of the season, I think the one thing that was constant was our defense was good. We had a top 10 defense all year. And, you know, with Jimmy coming in, our defense is. gotten even better. Our defense has actually been number one defense in the league, number one, number two defense in the league since Jimmy been here.

So with that being said to how to, you know, to know that, like, yo, I can really make a push for this thing. It's been extremely motivated, you know, just going into these games, having that added factor of like, you know, I really want to accomplish this. Like, I need to lock in and focus on what the task is I had. And so it's motivated to hell out of me. And like I said, to even be in the running, you know, at this point in my career. I'm grateful.

I'm grateful. I'm grateful for my health, you know, to be healthy enough to compete at this level still. Like, but, you know, I'm continuing making my case. You've been a testament, you know, the whole season, you know, we watch the office and downs, the injuries, the, you know, the doubt, the how you feel when I'm coming back, right? And, you know, now, and then it starts, I feel good. I feel good.

I feel, oh, yeah, I'm feeling good. Yeah, I'm feeling my attitude changing, the vibe changing. We plan for something, and, you know, you just keep elevate. Like the big shot against the Lakers, you have to clutch, crunch time three. That was big, but for me, it was. was the steel on Luca, right?

Those are the plays that make defensive player to year, defensive player of the year. Absolutely. It's like a Heisman moment. Right. Right. Talk about that moment. Talk about that moment because everybody don't celebrate the winning shot,

but not everybody celebrate that big steal or that winning defensive play. Talk about just that play in general and just what. moments like that mean for somebody like you? You know, it's always fun to make those plays down the stretch because the reality is they usually come on a Luca or a Joker because those are the guys that's going to have a ball down the stretch, right? A LeBron. Like, you know, they're in those moments, very rarely are you taking the ball from the third

option on the team? You don't have a ball in that moment. Right. Unless it was like a broken play and somehow you ended up with the ball. ball, but like a broken play, if the third option got the ball on a broken play, it ain't highly likely that it's working anyway. And, or fourth option or fifth, you know, like, the guys had the ball. Yeah, the guy's created by the first guy.

Yeah. Exactly. In those moments. And so to make those plays down a stretch, like, to me, I'm always looking for that moment. Like, it's my chance. You know what I'm saying? to do what I do in the game how I can't, you know what I'm saying?

Because every now and then you may luck up and end up with a shot for a chance to win the game or tie the game or something like that off a broken player or somebody drove and kicked it. But more often than not, Steph taking that shot, Jimmy taking that shot, like, and that's just what it is. And so for me, in those moments, it's like, this is my game winning a shot. You know what I'm saying? Like, this is how I can win the game. And I love having those moments. And so when Luca drove in,

I'm watching the whole time waiting for him to see if he's going to expose the ball. Because if he exposed the ball, I'm going for it. And in those situations, like, I'm going to go for it in a way where if I file, you're just going to the line for two free throws. Yeah, no, for sure. And at that point in the game,

up the, I think five points at that time, five or seven points. at that time in the game, if I file you and you're going in a line for two free throws, we don't care anyway. Now, I'm not going to timidly reach and, like, give up an end one. I ain't going to do that. I'm going

completely for the strip. That's a get right there. That's a get. Yeah, the only other thing that's going to happen if I miss this strip is I'm filing you in your arm going down. So, you know, to make that play in that moment, though, like

I said, I'm always looking for that. opportunity because I feel like as a defender, like that's the holy grail as a defender. Like as a defender, that's your Heisman moment. That's your game winning shot. Like that's your, and so I'm always looking for those opportunities. Right. And good defense, I mean, good offense be good defense, great offense be great defense.

Sometimes good offense be great defense, right? is, you know, we play an offensive game, so anytime you can get, you know, the game winning deflection or the steel, I remember I did that to T-MAC in the playoffs, right? I think it was like game one, like game one, T-Mac, game winning shot, right? And I just came out of nowhere stole the ball. It was, it felt better to me than hitting game winners, right? You know, I hit some playoff game winners. but that was like the moment where it was like, man, like, T-Mack got the ball. Like, you know it's over.

And that's like a Luca, that's a big get. Like so for a defensive person, it's like, oh, I, you know, I got one of the best people in the league. It's just a big notch, a big notch and a nice big pat on the back. 100%. I got Joker before for the game. You know, and Denver. I just got Luca. Come on now.

It's always fun to make that play against some of the greats, man. Come on, man. It's always like, Ah. It's hard. That's what make them great. That's what make them great. That's what make them great.

I was happy to get that ball. Hell yeah. At LA, you know, stars is out like. Yeah, to start everything. Man, that's one of the ones that you were like, That was a high ticket right there. That was a high ticket. I was a high ticket.

You know what else I also like about the dubs is how big commingham and I call him P. I call them Warrior P. You know, how they've been showing up. Yeah. Right. Both the boys were in a lot. Even Moses. He'd been showing up.

But those two in particular. you know, these last three games, they've been really aggressive, right? And also aggressive on the defensive end, getting deflections, saw coming in blocking shots, laughing about blocking a shot. Like, it looked like he locked in defensively. And so, you know, I'm a firm believer that your defense create great offensive flow. And you can tell in these last three games that those two dudes, in particular, have upped it on the defensive side

and the offense is really helping, is a result of that. Absolutely. The effort they've been given on the defensive end is their office is the under-direct influence of that. It's kind of how to gain work, you know? Like, you give it you all in the defensive end, you're getting rewarded.

But they've both been extremely aggressive. And like you said, Moses as well, Moses kind of been stepping up, taking that challenge of guard. other teams best guard, you know what I'm saying? So we need them to play well in order to make the run we want to make. So it's good to see them playing the way they play in as confident as they are. Potsman shooting the shit out the ball, which is great for us.

JK, been all over the floor defensively. He rebounded and he getting up the court, you know what I'm saying? He's getting downhill. So, you know, it's good to see him. taking that challenge because when you take that challenge, as the playoffs start and he's taking that challenge, we know what he brings on the offensive end. That's how you earn your minutes.

You know what I'm saying? I think at times we all feel like, man, you're just supposed to give me something. And we all feel like that. Like that's just a natural thing, you know, to feel that time. But like what I'm watching him do right now is I'm watching him go take it. And I'm watching him go take it really for the first time in his career where he like,

I don't care about nothing else. This is what I'm going to do. And I'm going to make it so you can't take me off the floor. And you earn so much respect doing that, you know, because like, that was my path. You know what I'm saying? Like I had to take that path in order to become who I've become. And so to watch him finally turning that corner and be like, oh, no, I'm just going to going to do this and

create my own situation. You really earn respect like that, not only from players, but you earn the respect, you earn the respect of your coach like that. Yeah. And so it's beautiful to see, it's beautiful

to see what he's doing. You know, he's just got to stay locked in like he's been staying locked in. Because, you know, we're about to make this run and we need everybody. Keith Santos also, you know the young fellow who been playing extremely well, you know what I'm saying? He's been bawling too, scrappy.

He's been doing exactly, it seemed like everybody been falling in the role and saying, hey, this is how I'm going to show up and bring my superpower to the team. And that's all you can ask for, right? It's for everybody to make some sacrifice to put something in the pot that's going to make sure that this team is solidified. And that's on the defensive end. And then as a result of that, everyone else will benefit offensively, right? Because you have superstar players on your team and unselfish players on your team. 1,000 percent.

So it's, you know, the young fellow's playing well, man. Right. It's great to see because we need it. Let's move around the league a little bit. The 4-8 race in the West for the final spots in the West is crazy. Really, 3-8. Have you ever seen a race this type between those spots? Man, it's crazy.

You know, there have been races like this. I feel like some of it was last year or the year before, but this one right here is way different because it's going to be all about the matchups. It's all about the matchups. And this first round of matchups is anybody can be beat. Like the talent you get from, you know, four through eight, right? And what they're fighting for that four or three through eight,

all of these teams have been in three at some point or two at some point of the season, right? Or four at some point of the season. So you got a lot of teams that are deserving of home court advantage. we got a lot of teams that play well with home court advantage. You have a lot of teams that play better on the road versus certain teams. So this race is going to be crazy because when the matchups turn out, then it's like you don't even have time to figure out. Like I remember when we were fighting again to playoffs,

we believe it was all predicated on what Dallas did. So they can take a night off and say, lose this game because we want to play the Warriors. Right now, can't nobody, you can't position yourself and say, oh, I want to be six or two

so I can get Houston or or I want to get a matchup with Minnesota. You can't you can't afford to take no luxuries because you can fall to nine. Yes, you can. Right.

Yes, you can. And you may have to play your way in. you want to be a part of that core six this last week of the season is going to be some beautiful basketball to watch because people are going to really be putting everything to have on the line. I think this reminds me of that year. I can't remember the exact year. I think maybe like mid-2000s when KG was in Minnesota,

they were the eight seed. And I think they won like maybe 48 games or something like that. It was the AC, right? That's what happened in us when we didn't make it. Yeah. And, you know, like last year, I think we won 46 games and ultimately didn't make the playoffs, you know. And so this reminds me of a year like that, you know, where there will probably be teams with equal amount. Like, it'll come down to tiebreakers.

Yes. Highly likely. Probably. For sure. For sure. Yeah. And so it's crazy. But I was like, we were.

I was in the cold tub today, and I was looking at Houston's the remaining of their schedule. They play at the Lakers, at the Clippers, home versus Denver for their last game. And I said, man, what do the NBA know that they got this schedule? Like, how did this happen? They got it cracking at the end. It's crazy. Like, you look at the four games. We just had where it was like Memphis.

It was up. Lakers, Denver. Like, how did they nail this, us versus the Clippers the last game with the season? Like, it's crazy. Yeah, it's crazy. How it all worked out, man. But, um. Storylines, baby.

Absolutely. ABA back storyline, game winner. Fighting for a playing position, you know, like, it's cracking right now. Basketball is cracking. Yes, it is. Shout out to the NBA. You're doing it again? Shout out to the NBA.

No, no. First Ballad Hall of Famer, congrats. I FaceTime Mello soon as I saw the news. He didn't answer. I just saw my phone earlier today. He called me right back.

I never seen it, so I need to hit Mello. But happy as hell for Mello, man. First Ballet Hall of Famer, rightfully so well-deserved as expected, but you can never be too sure about that. You know,

and I'm happy as hell for Mello. I know you play with Mello during the Nix tape era. First, you know, prime time. That's what I call him. What's something you remember about playing with Mello during that time?

I think at that time, Mello, there was a big misperception about Mello not being a team guy. Mello was a great guy to be around. right, he wanted to win, right? He wanted, like, for one, you rarely find a superstar that wants to, all the pressure, right? Like, that man don't feel no pressure, right?

And I was saying my next tape era, we all became like a tight bond. So Mello was prime time. We knew that, we knew that Mello is a dude that's going to go out and can get 50. for sure he could he can sneeze and get 50 but he was he was generous with with his celebrity he was generous with his or he was generous with his light right that's what really allowed the next tape thing to happen right because when mello was bought into it everybody else was bought into it and we was all i'm telling you man we was like a rap crew moving around like a rap crew and it was right or die right like no matter no matter what problems we got into

on and off the court like we was all together like off the court we was just hanging you know he treated everybody to dinner on the court you know he he was at a at a time

at a time where he was he wanted to win a championship so to see him transition to like with Mike listen and it's like what do I have to do it be a champion right to take that step and to see

that you know what we had with the Knicks tape era I thought they had you know similar to what they have now like an opportunity to move towards getting to the championship but I say as far as like one of the Codda scores and somebody don't even need a dribble

to get a shot off you know pressure is precious Nathan to this man, right? A double team is Nathan to this man. And to see my boy Prime, I remember when I was like 24, 25 going to Baltimore. And he was chilling on my homeboy couch. We was just talking about who then the night before he won the NCAA championship game. He was at my house in New Orleans before the final four. I went and scooped him up. So, you know, to see somebody that you've been a part of their journey and then the

be their teammate to see their evolution, right? As a Hall of Famer, I mean, first ballot, he is well deserving. Then when you look at all the points, there's a lot of points. A lot of points. Steph Curry just passed Reggie Miller. Yep.

Bro, that's a lot of points. That's a whole bunch of points, man. Like when you think about Steph Curry, it's like, damn, Steph Curry, what, 24 now? Yes, 24. You think Melo, Melo top 10. That's a lot of points, bro.

That's a lot of points. That's a lot of buckets. First ballot and D, no question. That's like 40 on the off night type shit. Like started off the game and somewhere found a rhythm and ended up with 40. Yeah. Could have had zero in the first quarter or two in the first quarter just didn't have it going. and then went to the free throw line a couple times

and was like, wait a man, baw, baw, bow, like, yeah. Now, I had the opportunity, obviously, to play with Mello in 2016 with Team USA. And, you know, that was our OG. That was our vet. You know, that was, I think that was Mello's fourth gold medal,

third gold medal, third or fourth gold medal. Let me see, he won an 08, 12, 16. Yes, but it was his fourth Olympics because he played in 2004. Right. And so, you know, that was our OG, man. We had a, we had to, you know, he, Melo was in the mix with everything. You know, he's telling us what to expect against certain teams, you know what I'm saying. Like, because that was my first Olympics, you know, and so he was in the mix.

And he scored the basketball. I mean, Mello's score in the Olympics. Obviously, Mello scored. in the NBA. But Mello was Team Olympic score. Yeah. Which is a different thing. Like that's,

I mean, you're on the team with LeBron James, you on the team with Kobe Brian, you on the team, like Kevin Durant. And they're saying, this is the one we're all picking, like this is going to be our team score. Like, that says so much, man.

Like, this is Team USA. That's the best basketball team in the world. and mellow was to go to a score and so I think like just even with that I'll never forget we had a little situation

and we had a little situation in Brazil and after the little situation happens we have like a two and a half hour meeting and I call them I call them Doc Mr. Colangelo Jerry I call it

I call it Jerry Doc. So Doc, and we're up there meeting, Coach Kaye says so, and then Doc's just up there going. And he's going on and on and on, man. And we all just sitting there taking it on the chin, taking it on the chin, whole team, taking it on the chin. We all sitting there, taking it on the chin. Finally, after like two hours, Mello was like,

hey, Jerry, we got it. We all grown in. Yeah, we got it. Let's move on now. This happened again. God's going to have to go home. You're going to be kicked out of a living. And we're just sitting there.

Everybody's like, all right, you know. Nobody's saying, finally, Mello, OG. Well, I was like, all right, Jerry, we got it. Meet the end right there. That was the end. That was it. All right, Jerry, we got it. We all grown in.

We good. That was the end of it. So, you know, I've had, you know, just in having an opportunity to share that experience with such a great, like, Mello. Well-deserved. Well-deserved. And that's just the topic that had. Yes. That Jersey bought to get retired, too, with the Knicks.

It's definitely going to retire with the Knicks. And I think it also should get retired with Denver. I do too, I think. The reason I think it should get retired with Denver is because Mello spent just about the same amount of time with Denver as he spent with the Knicks. And what he did in a Denver Nuggets jersey, like Mello, when you think of Denver Nuggets in the baby blue jerseys, you first think of Mello. Is it? Because Mello made that, like, culturally cool. Yeah, he was like the person making the Denver Nuggets.

culturally cool and had a great start to his career with the Denver Nuggets. I think with the Denver Nuggets, Mello scored like 14,000 points or something like that. It's crazy. Like definitely deserve to have his jersey retired. And I know, you know, everybody's like, oh, but Joker got the number. He should get retired. Just like other guys are grandfathered in. He grandfathered in.

And his is getting retired anyway. Right. But both things can be true. Both guys can have their jersey retire. I think if I'm not mistaken, I think there's a jersey at Michigan State that's retired, the numbers retire twice. I'm not mistaken.

I'm almost certain it is. And this is a case where that should happen. Definitely should get retired with the Knicks. And the one thing, you know, the one argument that people would try to use versus the one argument that people, He meant that people would try to use versus Mello in Denver. Is that, oh, but the Joker got a championship,

Mello ain't won't win a championship. Denver wasn't just winning championships, but they won't necessarily use that with the Knicks, right? They won't necessarily use that with the Knicks because the Knicks haven't won and so long. But, man, forget that. Mello Jersey should be retired in both places, and I hope both of those places we are the game

and get retired against. The White Howard name to the Hall of Fame as well, This weekend, shout out to Dwight, one of the most dominant centers. I mean, you know, you talk about somebody who was just a freak of nature, right? You know, just athletically gifted, smart, right, knew how to cover. You talk about, you know, a defensive player in a year. You were scared to go to the hall because he was sending it to half court. Right.

And, you know, when he first got in the league, he was a force. Yes. It was impossible to stop Dwight Howard. Impossible to stop Dwight Howard. And to see him being honored in this way as a champion, as an Olympian, I always said that he should definitely be a Hall of Fame based on, you know, his dominance, right? his dominance for, I would say, his big time in the league.

And then also when he came back for somebody to be so dominant to come back and be a great role player and want to be a role player is a testament also to his character and his teammanship. Absolutely. No, man, congrats to Dwight.

I got the opportunity to play against Dwight with the Lakers and then with Houston. I think I did play. I think I'm almost certain. played Dwight with the Lakers. Yeah, I played Dwight with the Lakers. And then with Houston. But Dwight, like you said, always was a force.

Defensively, the way he held the paint down, offensively, gifted, dunks, developed a jump hook. Didn't start his career with the right-hand jump hook. Developed a jump hook. Like, Dwight, man, I'm happy to see him get his dune because I also thought Dwight should have been on the top. 75 team.

And for Dwight not to be on the top 75 team, I thought that was crazy. Like that didn't make, that didn't make sense to me. And so to see Dwight get his due, I hope this is fulfilling for him. Because, man, did he earn it? And he deserved to be celebrated. I think a lot of people has tried to throw dirt on Dwight's name like Dwight wasn't him. And I hate it.

I was that guy. You know what I'm saying? I don't like that. A lot of people then threw a lot of dirt on Dwight name and I don't like it. So to see him get his due, I'm extremely happy for Dwight. Well deserved.

Playoff battles against Dwight. Shout out to him, man. Also, shout out to the rest of the class. Dwight's actually going in twice. So is Mello. They're both going in with the 2008 U.S. Olympic Redeemed team. That's fine.

They both played on. So shout out to them for that. We got WNBA, Ike, Sue Byr, Sylv, Sylvia Files. I also had the opportunity to spend time with all three of them. They were all three on the Olympic team in 2016. So shout out to them well-deserved. Coach Billy Donovan is going into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Referee Danny Crawford.

That's my God. I like Danny as well. Going to the, I played against Danny's son, Drew Crawford, at, um. Danny, look at you like this. At Northwestern. Yeah. So I like Danny a lot as an official. Danny's going in and last but not least, um, the owner of the Miami Heat organization,

Mickey Harrison is going to in. Okay. Absolutely. Congratulations to the 2025. Basketball Hall of Fame. Incredible. Can only hope to one day experience that. Shout out to them, man.

That is incredible. Job well done, ladies and gentlemen. TV time out. Steve Francis has some choice words for you recently. He said he would beat you in one-on-one. Do you think beat you can see me one-on-one? Why don't y'all just go play again? Since everybody wants to hoopline play once again.

Everybody wants that war. That's the L.A. D.C. thing. Oh, I believe. You want to see me BD., you know where I'm about. I see. So who went in one-on-one? He said he would buy to you. I'm going to go glass on left-haired.

Glass. Glass. Glass. What is your response to that? Oh, man. Come on, man. Hey, hey. And the funny thing is, is all weekend.

He doesn't call me about. 17 times with about eight people on the FaceTime, like light it up. Like, man, come on. Don't play with me, bro. I'm not the one to play with when it comes to ones.

I mean, he know that. Are you in good enough shape right now today? It don't matter. To play one-on-one versus Dief. I'm in better shape. You see me getting in better shape? I see you slimmed down?

Yeah, you see me starting to slim down. Man, all I need is three weeks in the gym. nobody can guard me. Okay, so how can we set this up? Like, what need to happen? What need to happen to set up you versus Steve Francis in one-on-one? Because he called you out, BD. That's cool.

That's cool. Like, what need to happen? How much money need to be on the table? Yeah, put the money up. Like, how can we make this happen? We can play for a pack of now later, bro. I ain't tripping. It don't matter.

You can play a million up. You can put up now layers up. Me and Steve Francis, he was not serious. That's what I'm trying to tell you. So he don't want to play. No, he's not serious. He don't want to play. He just reminiscing from when we used to play against each other.

Right. And Steve Francis, know what time it is. I rip Steve. I ripped Steve Francis at half court. Oh, man. You get ripped out half court. You get ripped out half court. You tired.

Shout out to Bassie. That was my favorite. One of my favorite plays of all I'm trying. No, you don't want this. I hear. You ripped him at half court, BD? Come on, man. Ain't nobody.

Come on. Ask him. In Houston. I ripped Darren Williams in the NBA finals at half court. Maybe even behind half court. Yeah, you get ripped out high. Of course, you're tired. It's tired, big time.

So do you want to play him, BD? Oh, you said he don't want to play, though. He don't want to play. I don't really think he want to play, but I would. And that's an easy win, bro. Oh, so will you play him if he really want to play? Yeah, I would play him. Jemont, do you know what I would do to him?

I would just back him down and lay the ball up over the room. same thing I would do to you that's crazy don't don't do that stay in your weight class I got a lift weight I got a lift weights stay in your weight class

you're boxing out your weight class now stay in your weight class BD you're boxing out your weight class Akeem Elijah Juan said it from the man himself from the man

is Dre I'm gonna get you right to some ah um Post game. That's fine, but that ain't working out. One dribble, Danny Manning jump hook.

Two dribbled, Danny Manning Jump Hook. Two dribbles spin, dream shakes, fade to the post, up and under. You know what? I'm going to sing you the highlight packet, bro. I don't care about your highlights. You boxing out your weight class, brother. This is different. This is different.

This is, you better go play. Don't know, franchise. You got this man. So you see it. The CCI feel about Steve Francis. Now, so now it's hard for me to believe that you really believe what you're saying about franchise because I know you don't believe what you're saying to me. Well, anybody.

Just throw out a name. Draymond Green. Not even a chance one-on-one. Throw out another name. Stop. They should put me at the halftime one-on-one. I should be in that right now. Man, stop it.

Who can guard me? Who can't, is the question. Who can garden? You to call no offense. Who can? Who can't? Ain't going around no cone. You the law.

That's all I see. I was seeing people. People was cones before they even have. had combs. I was using real people as cones. Now you're a cone. Can't go nowhere. Brother can't go nowhere.

Hey, all I got to do is put Steve Francis on his hips and his knees going to buckle. Oh, French, I don't take the disrespect. He can't take to disrespect, French odds. He can barely walk standing up. Franchardt.

You can't take this. disrespect. Hey, he brittle. Hey, Dre. Come on, man. You know how he get out. His defense first, he brittle. He is brittle. That is, he is brittle, dude. He old.

Come on, man. Oh, my God. This is great. We 40 plus. He old. I'm not old. He's old. He's brittle. Man, I'll push him on his head one time. Boom and it's over. French eyes, don't take this slander.

Don't take this slandering. Hey, he done so. Hey, listen, he done. We ain't even going to get no crossover. There ain't going to be no crossing over, no moves. So as he make his first move, I'm a pushing. Game over. You win by disqualification.

He can't continue on. How many files I get? how many files I get. That's all I need. That's hilarious. But I play you one-on-one, bro. No, don't do that. Don't waste your time.

We're going to play, no, we're going to play one-on-one all posts. Perfect. All posts. High posts, low-post, front of the wing, and then we're going to let everybody into the nation. How bad I beat you. Round 10. That's by 5-1.

The next spot 5-0. Next spot I just Not saying you're Not saying you're Aaron Gord. Not saying you're Aaron Gord, but Aaron Gordt, he did the same thing. He was like, oh, gee, I want to work out with you, you know. I'm trying to get right,

get my guard skills right. So I was working him out. But he was really like, man, I want to, you know, I'm going to be playing a little bit of guards. So I need to guard a guard. I was like, man, like, what you want to play one-on-one? He was like, yeah. I was like, all right, let me get two days, right?

Ask Aaron Gordon. He was my last victim. I'm trying to think who else was a victim of mine. Well, your clock is ticking. I'm giving you two months. You know, hey, Dubnation, cash your vote. Who do you think is going to win? Five spots, all posts.

I just gave you I just gave you a two mine hands up a two month heads up you got so that should be enough time for you to I gotta go give me some old man muscles and shit but even more so than that

franchise said run the ones he called you out that's crazy and you scared can run it, unbelievable way to call him out franchise. He don't want to smoke. Stalling out, Debo. Frantz has got to be able to walk

when he's 60, bro. Debo. Debo. Debo, Francis, stall him out. Steve don't want that, man. Nobody do, really. If I got two months to get in shape, nobody's beat me.

There it is. Nobody's beat me one-on-one, bro. You got the two months. Good luck. I'm going to work out with the dudes in the league. I've been watching and I'm like, you know, I got hurt. I wish somebody would have retired me and have been like, damn, dude, I can't keep up with him. But I ain't never happened.

Well, it had to happen. No, I just missed the boat. I just missed the boat. You know, the boat just passed. The ship's sail. The ship's sail. Nobody was watching like, damn, Vee. he ain't got it no more.

It was never that. It was just, there was just stuff thinking about me. Everybody else was in line. I didn't know I had to be in line, too, when it was, when it was trying to pull out them training camp, roster spots.

Got him on out of here. Getting up out of here. man. All right. Lastly, JJ Reddick recently talked about how he

doesn't like the most improved player to year award. Just could just call it the high draft pick that he's on a max contract

and now is an all-star just call it that award who's back in because that's what it's become if you were making the case for Austin. Am I wrong? But he wouldn't be that

guy. Don McLean won it, Bobby Simmons won it? No, I'm saying that's what it's become. Yeah, yeah, you could speak to the

voters right now. The last five years that's what it's become. I don't think that's the spirit of the award. Because what it represents nowadays is calling it a high draft pick on a max contract, but now he's an all-star award. Do you agree?

So when JJ said this, I was like, man, JJ must have broke up on the wrong side of the bed. I saw the interview and it just looked like he said it out of nowhere. I mean, I saw his response. And it just looked like he said out of nowhere. I was like, JJ could not have been having a good day today today when I saw it. And then I went and looked up the list of who's one. And I was like, oh, my God. Why did JJ Redick notice?

I'm like, why did he notice? Because he got a point. Like, when you think of most improved and you look at these guys, 15th pick, Yon is which we can all agree should have never been the 50. But second pick, Ola Depot. Pascal Seaccom is one that I'd agree with. Pascal Seaco got so much better. I remember playing against Pascal Seaccom

and I was like, I don't understand why the Rockas got him at the fort. They kind of playing him in the corner, but he can't shoot. And then he came back to the next year and was nice. And I was like, oh, man. Like, wait, I just do get this much better this fast. He made it bleat.

And so Pascal Seaco, cool, great, I agree. Brandon Ingram was the same. second pick, Julius Randall, seven pick, John Morant, second pick, Lori Markner, seven pick.

Tyrese, I can agree with. 21st pick did not play as a rookie. I can agree with that. But outside of that, I agree with JJ. Like, he makes a great point.

I don't think you should be a lottery pick and be able to get most improved player. I think that should go to really second. around picks, you know, people. But the one thing about Brandon Ingram that I do, like, is it took him a while to get there.

It did. It did take him a while to get there. You know, but even he was the number two pick, but it did take him a while to get there. And he showed improvement, improvement. And he showed a big leap. I think the same thing with John Morant. Like, he made, it's almost like you got to make that big leap,

that big step. But when you're a high draft pick, that's what's expected. That's expected. Like they drafted you that high for a reason. So you should like, I mean, it's just a, it's, it's an award that should go to, they should do a little bit more research. Right?

Like it's, it's deserving for someone who made a big leap that didn't even get the chance. Or somebody who like was a second round pick or a lay first round. pick that, you know, all of a sudden, like, got an opportunity to play and, like, made something out of that situation, like, being a higher draft pick, being an all-star. Like, that's what you expect of yourself. That's what expected of you when you're a top 10, you know, top 15 pick, really a top-10 pick, right? It's expected to be an all-star.

That's why he- So the way most improved, like, you know, that is. I don't know. It should be defined. I mean, they should just redefine all these awards because the accuracy is. JJ, JJ was on point with that one.

I got to give them credit. He got the shit off with that one, for sure. Who you got winning the championship tomorrow? You got a... Houston, man. Florida, you got Houston. He's played a little wage. I'll take Florida.

All right. Calvin Simpson is my guy. That's my guy. I'm not going against my guy. I really want to see. I mean, I'll take Florida for the sake of bedding, but I'm rooting for Calvin Sampson. Yeah, I'm going for Houston all the way.

All right, bet, what's the bet? Whatever you want, whatever to bet, whatever. I'll shoot you a text on what's a bet. Yeah, for sure. We appreciate y'all for tuning in. That's a wrap from this episode of the Draymond Green Show with the legend Barron Davis. Until next time, folks. Peace.

Peace.