Draymond Green is hands down one of the smartest players in the NBA.
Against the Rockets, his brain is one of the key variables.
"It's very important. They are a very good offensive team. There's gonna be a lot of things that take place out there on the court that you're just not ready for that you gotta be able to react to quick," Draymond told reporters on Friday. "To be able to point guys in a different direction, be able to make adjustments and things like that on the fly.
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"That's what the game is gonna come down to -- who can get the most stops. We know we both can score. So who's able to muster up that stop or two when it's most needed is gonna be what the series comes down to."
In the playoffs, the Warriors are No. 1 in defensive rating at 99.3.
The Rockets are No. 2 at 102.1.
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Back in early October, Mike D'Antoni said the following about the Warriors: "You're not gonna stop them. It's just not gonna happen. They're not gonna stop us either. Should be fun."
The day before the regular-season opener, Draymond responded by saying: "I don't know how serious they take defense with that comment, but I know they added some good defensive players."
After the Rockets beat the Warriors on Oct. 17, D'Antoni jabbed back: "Somebody said we don't take it seriously on defense. Well obviously they don't take it seriously either."
Turn up the heat!
Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller