Otto Porter Jr: Draymond Green will keep on being aggressive for Golden State Warriors, we're not worried
See the full interview with Porter Jr. on tonight's NBA Finals coverage live on Sky Sports: Watch Celtics @ Warriors – Game 5, live on Sky Sports Arena and Main Event, on Monday night from 1.45am; with repeats shown the following morning and in the days thereafter
Tuesday 14 June 2022 02:02, UK
Otto Porter Jr. is normally one of Golden State Warriors' wily veterans off the bench.
Alongside Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica, he is one of the players who Steve Kerr will throw on comfortable in the knowledge they have the knowhow and experience, 2015 NBA Finals MVP Iguodala especially, to deal with any situation that comes their way.
But in the last game, he started for the Dubs, with Kevon Looney relegated to coming off the bench. Kerr may elect to change that in Game 5, as the series returns to the Bay Area, live on Sky Sports Arena & Main Event from 1.45am overnight on Monday night, but either way, Porter Jr. will get minutes and in the NBA Finals they are all important ones.
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It has not been the bench veterans that have been the concern for the Warriors in this series, though – it has been Stephen Curry's two wingmen in the Warriors' Big Three: Klay Thompson and, primarily, Draymond Green.
Thompson shot less than 30 per cent in the opening two games and it has recovered somewhat on the road, but his 35.8 per cent shooting is the lowest for any NBA Finals he has played, and he is making just 34.2 per cent from deep.
This is drastically down from his 58.5 per cent on threes in the 2019 NBA Finals before he suffered two severe injuries which kept him from playing basketball for two-and-a-half years, the first in Game 6 of that series against the eventual champion, Toronto Raptors, before his return in January.
For Green, it's harder to measure the impact statistically as he has never been a box score player, but he has looked far from his old self and only in the Game 2 victory did he really impose himself defensively and make a discernible difference individually.
In the vital victory in Game 4, Kerr benched his veteran forward for a key stretch where they came from behind to go in front in the fourth quarter, something that would have been unthinkable during other runs at the championship.
Porter Jr. though, insists that Green continues to have the trust of the entire locker room, despite averaging more personal fouls per game (4.5) than points (4.3) and having a negative net rating (-1.8) during his minutes on the floor.
"He's gonna continue to be aggressive and attack when he can," Porter Jr. said. "I mean, but 30 (Curry) got it going, we trying to get screens for him.
"Draymond, he's going to shoot the ball when he's open. You know that. He's going to take the shots, he's going to be aggressive when he wants to be aggressive. We're not worried about him at all. We know he's gonna show up and perform every game."
And what about Thompson, is a breakout Game around the corner? Much is made of 'Game 6 Klay'. The Warriors have only had one Game 6 so far in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Thompson scored 30 points and drained eight 3-pointers in the Warriors' series-clinching win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Semi-finals.
Green revealed following the performance that Thompson believes that narrative and embraces it.
"Game 6 Klay is still Game 6 Klay," Green said. "Game 6 Klay's last time playing in the playoffs before this year was Game 6 and he was cooking the Toronto Raptors. Game 6 Klay showed up again.
"I think one of the beautiful things about Game 6 Klay is that obviously became this narrative, like this thing people say. Klay really believes that now. Like in his head he's like 'its Game 6, of course I'm going to do this, are you crazy?'
"And like he approaches the game like that and it's one of the most incredible things to watch. It shows you how powerful the mind is, like for those out there that just doesn't understand how powerful your thoughts are, how powerful your beliefs are, the mind is a very powerful thing. And he believes Game 6 Klay is a real thing and guess what, if Killa Klay believes it then I believe it."
That's the thing, the Warriors have believed from the start and they have put the work in, none more so than Thompson, whose defense looked back towards its best in the latter stages of the Game 4 win in Boston, after looking a beat off-pace in some of the earlier finals clashes.
Given everything he's been through, Porter Jr. admits it really would be special for Thompson to win a championship just six months after returning to competitive basketball.
"He's been locked in every day since he got back," Porter Jr. said. "It just started with his off-season work and we know what he's capable of doing in any big game. It can be Game 5, 6, or 7, we know that he's capable of of having a really really good game.
"Nobody can understand what he went through, going through two significant injuries like that and to come back and win an NBA championship, it's probably going to mean the world to him."
There is still a lot of work left for the Warriors before they get to that point, though. After Curry's masterful 43-point display in Game 4 in Boston, Celtics coach Ime Udoka has hinted that the Celtics may mix up the looks they are giving him and play more physically to try and off-set his rhythm.
Porter Jr. is confident the Warriors will have answers regardless of what they decide to do to try and contain the 34-year-old superstar.
"It's amazing to sit there and watch it or setting screens for him while he's got it going, it's just amazing," Porter Jr. said. "Because we know any chance he gets daylight, every shot we think is going in so it's our job to go out there when he got it going that is to keep him rolling. You know, keep getting him open looks, you know, make it easier for him.
"Whatever they decided to do, we have a counter to it. If they do trap him, we still find ways to get back back to him. So it's interesting what they're trying to do."
What's particularly interesting and noteworthy about this Warriors group is the mix of veteran presence and youthful exuberance in the locker room. Many pundits didn't fancy the Dubs at the start of the season, feeling that the mix would not quite be right for a run at a title.
Porter Jr. himself very much believed, though, and that is why he reportedly knocked back more money from other teams to have a title tilt in Golden State.
He may well prove to be vindicated in that decision.
"It just made sense to play for organisations of the style that I played growing up on the culture here," Porter Jr. said. "I mean, they have a dynasty here that you know; they play the right way, winning mentality, championship pedigree. And the stars aligned for me.
"I don't think we really care so much what everybody else was saying, we knew from day one how special our group could be. And we all had the same goal in mind, which was to get championship, so we don't really care about the outside noise. We know what we bring to the table every day.
"Veteran guys play a big part in developing especially younger guys that have never been to the playoffs or who've never been to the NBA Finals. It just helps that much more for the young guys and they're smart to where they listen and absorb all the content and all the information that's passed down to him. So, it goes both ways, and they help all year for our young guys. They've been preparing for this moment since day one."
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