Veteran forward Draymond Green gives his flowers to reigning MVP Nikola Jokic as the Warriors eliminate the Nuggets in the first round.
Advertisement
Warriors playoff basketball is back, with the Dubs silencing all the critics as they progress to the conference semi-finals. The Warriors core being intact, head coach Steve Kerr has done an exemplary job in developing talents like Jordan Poole and Gary Payton II.
Despite a lack of size on their roster, Draymond Green took care of things in the first round with crucial chip-ins from the likes of GP2 on the defensive end of schemes. The Dubs were slightly favored going into the series with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out with injuries.
Nikola Jokic became the go-to guy for the Nuggets for almost everything. However, The Joker lived up to his MVP status, averaging 31.0 PPG, 13.2 RPG, and 5.8 APG, shooting an impressive 57.6% from the field. Nonetheless, Jokic did find himself in foul trouble on several occasions.
Post eliminating the Nuggets, Draymond would address the media, sharing a heartfelt message to The Joker.
Draymond Green reveals his post-game interaction with Nikola Jokic.
After missing the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the Warriors reminded us of their championship DNA in the first round against the Nuggets. One of the key architects behind running the offense of the Dubs, Draymond, was his original best.
The former DPOY always had his eyes on The Joker despite not guarding him on all occasions. Jokic was visibly frustrated, leading to foul trouble, including an ejection in Game Two. Jokic had fouled 20-times during the series.
Nevertheless, both Green and Jokic had no hard feelings towards the end, with the latter congratulating the Warriors point forward at the end of Game Five. When asked about his conversation with Jokic, Green said the following.
“I just told him, thank you for making me better. It’s absolutely incredible to play against a guy like that. Incredible talent, it’s an honor and pleasure to play against someone so talented and so skilled. And usually, when you have a guy that is that talented and skilled, they are a little soft, he’s far far from soft.”
It’s great for the game of basketball to see this kind of sportsmen spirit. The Warriors now head to face the winner between the Grizzlies and T-Wolves in the conference semi-finals.
