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Draymond Green believes the Memphis Grizzlies should undergo a reality check next season.
After ending the 2021-22 season with the second-best record in the NBA (56-26), Memphis secured home field advantage in six games in the first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and again in the Western Conference semifinals series against the Warriors.
Since exiting the playoffs, several Grizzlies stars have been quite vocal on social media, including Ja Morant, who went back and forth with Draymond Green on Twitter last week.
Green joined former NBA star JJ Redick for a live crossover event of The Draymond Green Show and The Old Man and the Three podcasts, where he was asked about the Grizzlies’ trash talk and mentioned, how “forget” they are as a young crew.
“Oh no, I love it, I absolutely love it,” Green said. “I love it when they talk shit. I think it’s great. I’ve talked before on the podcast about Memphis not taking the situation as, like, they’re — (to the crowd) no, seriously. And it’s not an insult. It’s actually a compliment. They are young and they don’t know how big these moments are.
“So they’re just not aware of it. We’ve been where you are right now before and you’re planning, I’m in my third year, we’re fighting for a championship. You’re “just in this moment like you don’t know how big this moment is. You don’t even know to get nervous because you don’t understand how big this moment is. And that’s how I said that about Memphis , young people like that, they’re unfazed by everything, and a big part of the reason they’re unfazed is because they just don’t understand how big the moment is.
Draymond now believes the Grizzlies have arrived, established themselves as one of the best young teams in the league and continue to talk about expecting a reality check next season.
“Now talking shit to the team that won a championship, after they beat you, after they won a championship, is a whole other level of oblivion,” Draymond added. “It doesn’t get much more subconscious than that. And I think you’re now expected to do that. You are now expected to win these games. And it’s not that easy when teams come up for you.
“And so now I think they’re going to do their reality check. And it’s not like they can still win. They may still win, but they will realize how much harder it is for them to win. And now, because they’re talking the way they’re talking, they better lose that oblivion, because they better understand that these moments are huge now.
Morant, for example, tweeted on June 18 that he plans to play the Warriors in Memphis on Christmas Day.
Draymond and the World Champion Warriors will not travel anywhere on the day, a benefit that comes with winning the championship. However, Morant and the Grizzlies have an open dinner invitation when they play Golden State in San Francisco on Christmas Day next season.
“By the way, to show you the level of oblivion. Yes [Morant] told me on Twitter, “Yeah, take her to the M for Christmas.” F–k no, nobody comes to Memphis for Christmas, number one,” Green explained. “Number two, the champs don’t travel for Christmas … I said say hello LJ, Bron changed that rule years ago where you win the championship you play at home, so maybe we’ll see the kids at the bay on Christmas day.” I’ll invite her to dinner. They can have dinner with me and my family after we beat them on Christmas Day when this game is on.”
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With the series between the Warriors and the Grizzlies being so exciting, a prime time matchup between the two teams would surely make for a great game on one of the biggest days of the season.
Until then, Draymond and the Warriors continue to celebrate their fourth championship in eight seasons.
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