Draymond Green got well after finishing Game 1 of the NBA Finals with 4 points on Saturday and shooting 2-12 from the field.
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San Francisco – When he struggled through his NBA Finals debut, Golden State Warriors’ third-year security guard Jordan Poole heard burning criticisms from sources far more important than what he saw on television and social media. ..
Warriors forward Draymond Green appeared to be dissatisfied with the pool while suffering a Warriors 120-108 defeat to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. .. But since he scored 9 points with 2 of 7 shots and 4 turnovers, Poole has heard Green provide another message and tone to enter Game 2 on Sunday (8 ET, ABC).
“‘I just stick to it. It’s basketball,” Green recalled telling the pool to the NBA.com. “‘This is one game. He will bounce.”
After finishing Game 1, Green gave a similar optimistic view of his ability to bounce in just four points with three turnovers and six fouls.
Without prompting, Green blamed himself for certain reasons, both after the Warriors’ Game 1 defeat and after Saturday’s practice.
“If you can’t take responsibility for yourself, you can’t take responsibility for Jordan Poole,” Green said. “If you don’t look in the mirror and hold yourself accountable, you can’t hold anyone else responsible.”
Therefore, Green spit out the true serum about his own play. Undoubtedly, Green vowed to shoot better than his 2 to 12 clip showed. However, he claimed to like his aggression, as shown by the field goal attempt. To reduce his turnover, Green outlined the need to “do not make mental mistakes.” And with the Celtics overcoming a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Green blamed the Warriors for their poor defense.
Overall, Green concludes that he needs to “raise my play completely a few more notches.”
Draymond Green: “I think we have to play harder in the defensive end.”
The Warriors have relied on the best play of the green through three NBA championship runs in five final appearances. But in the meantime, he had a broad history of blaming himself after a bad performance before fixing it.
The green improved to a total of 14/32 in games 4 to 6 after finishing a total of 4/17 shots in games 2 and 3 of the 2015 NBA Finals against Cleveland. In the semi-finals against Oklahoma City at the 2016 Western Conference, Green shot four out of ten Warriors, following two wins. After shooting 9-2 in the 2019 NBA Final Warriors Game 1 defeat against Toronto, Green responded with 12 points in 12 6 shots with a Game 2 victory.
It’s no wonder the Warriors see Green’s Game 1 slip-up as a precursor to his Game 2 highlight reels.
“There is no other scenario to see him play as he comes out with great energy and concentration,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said of Green. “He takes everything personally about his standards and what he knows he can do on the floor. When he doesn’t meet it, he’s usually pretty honest and on the team. On the other hand, I am responsible for myself. “
Why does Green follow that approach? It doesn’t just improve his own game. He believes it lifts others too. At the end of the Warriors practice, Green sought to create a loose and competitive environment. He showed excitement after making a handful of three points. He also encouraged his teammates by talking about trash while taking shots from the free throw line.
“I hate that when everything is good, it’s all their leaders. They’re doing it all. They’re making it all happen. And when something hits the fans, it’s It’s everyone else’s fault, “Green said. “We call them front runners, but we don’t. Put them on your chin. That’s what I’ve always been taught throughout my life. In the end, play well. I understand that I will win. “
The rest of the warrior vets are also encouraging the pool
Green isn’t the only one to provide both encouragement and constructive feedback to the pool. Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala all got tickets at the deli counter so they could share 2 cents.
Curry encouraged the pool to be “selfish,” and Thompson told the pool, “Relax and don’t overload yourself.” Nevertheless, Curry and Iguodala also provide tactical feedback.
Iguodala scolded the pool after making one of four turnovers in Game 1. Since then, Iguodala has talked about “how can we alleviate some of the things that could be thrown at us?” What about curry?
“Remember how you felt in terms of adrenaline and the emotions that come up in the game that makes you assert yourself,” Curry said. “Maybe slow down a bit to get a better look at the pictures, but he needs to change nothing about how he plays, how he attacks, or where he’s most confident in influencing the game. No. You must be able to bottle those feelings. “
The pool seems to have heard. The Warriors praised his preparation habits by asking questions, studying game footage, and practicing hard. To clear his mind, Poole spent downtime watching movies, playing music, and taking a nap. “I will find a way to stay aggressive,” Poole said.
The Warriors believe he will.
“It was a tough night for him, but I’m sure it will be better tomorrow,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Celtics bring awareness to WNBA star Brittney Griner
The Celtics aren’t just thinking about making statements in their play. They are looking to make a statement with their gestures.
Before Saturday’s practice, all Celtics wore T-shirts with the message “We are BG.” The Celtics did so to make more aware of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained by the Russian government on suspicion of drugs since February 17.
“We wanted to come out and show support for Brittney Griner,” said Celtics guard Jaylen Brown. “She has been there for a long time, and we feel enough.”
#FreeBrittneyGriner 👉 https://t.co/NilQSP8giS pic.twitter.com/6tw5S3dwAL
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 4, 2022
Grant Williams, Celtics forward and vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, recently came up with the idea of wearing a T-shirt in the hope that the team will facilitate her return. Initially, the NBA and WNBA have taken a modest approach since the invasion of Ukraine, amid concerns about tensions between the United States and Russia. However, the approach changed last month after the State Department determined on May 3 that Greener was “unjustly detained.”
Prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Commissioner Adam Silver said, “We are working with the US government and outside experts to promote her release in the best possible way.”Celtics also tweeted a link to “We are BG” websiteThere is a Change.org petition calling on the White House and the Biden administration to “take Britney home quickly and safely.”
“We just wanted to show that sense of unity and love we have across the WNBA, not just the NBA,” Williams said. “She has played an important role in the WNBA over the past few years. At college, she has had a huge impact on young female athletes in the United States and abroad. She returned to the United States and reunited with her family. I hope she does what she loves and brings that love and tenacity that she always plays in court. “
Celtics shrugs green scout report
When scanning the box score after losing in Game 1 of the Warriors, Green was Marcus Smart (4 to 7), Al Horford (6 to 8) and Derrick White (5 -for-8). Green shrugged and said, “It’s okay.”
Less subtle meaning: The Warriors do not believe Horford and White can sustain their prolific external fire counts. Green said in his own podcast.
“We knew what their game plan was, so it’s up to us to make the shots,” White said. “He said what he said. The right idea is to just enter Game 2 and do whatever it takes to win the game.”
Will Payton play in Game 2?
The Warriors finally cleared Gary Payton II to play in Game 1 and finished eight games absent while nursing his broken left elbow. Still, Peyton stayed on the bench as a healthy scratch.
“I was still worried about playing him for quite some time,” Kerr said. “I thought, but the training staff felt they needed a little more time. I hope he can do more tomorrow.”
Kerr said he considered inserting Payton for a “stop in the second half of the game”. Kerr said Peyton’s conditioning remained sharp, but Kerr suffered an elbow injury on his dominant arm and was also concerned about Peyton’s shooting and handling of the ball.
Nevertheless, Peyton said he remained “available” and “ready to go.”
“I’m trying to tell him I’m ready every day,” Peyton said of Carr. “Hopefully it will sink sooner or later.”
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Mark Medina is a senior writer / analyst at. NBA.com..You can send him an email hereFind his archive here And follow him On twitter..
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