“It’s the nights, I show up and we play against the sorry mother**ers” – Draymond Green appreciates playing against NBA superstars, says playing against a weaker opponent kills his intensity for the game

Draymond Green discussed why it is easier for him to play against more difficult teams than easier ones.

The four-time champion said that weaker opponents kill the intensity in his game. Green is a notable force on the court, especially as the defensive pest. He can command the energy of the game very well, but it is apparently harder to do so against the "sorry" squads.

In the video, some voices mention the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder as examples of squads that kill the tenacity.

Draymond Green explained:

“It’s the nights I show up and we play against the sorry motherf***ers … I can’t play."

Draymond Green is known for the pressure he puts on his opponents. The man is a "dawg" on the court, comfortable in maintaining a lower stat sheet in order to make the difference in parts of the game where stats are not counted.

It is his energy, his intensity on both ends of the floor when he is playing off the ball.

Green said the following about his playing:

“It’s not a night that I show up and I don’t wanna be a dawg, especially if it’s LeBron coming in, if it's a Giannis coming in, cause them the games I live for.”

Draymond Green more interested in playing against the big names

Golden State Warriors Media Day

Playing against the likes of LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo is a difficult task. LeBron remains the reigning king, and Giannis is an absolute force to be reckoned with. However, Draymond finds more enjoyment in playing against stars of their caliber than he does playing the easier squads.

It makes sense.

The Draymond Green everybody knows is physical dominant, and he likes to trash talk. His size is not insurmountable, but he uses it well. Green’s opinion stems from him not being able to let that dawg out within him against the easier squads.

What is there to let out against a squad like Sacramento or Oklahoma City? There stands little reason for Draymond to enforce the pressure he is used to against squads that are already under in points.

While holding a relatively small stat sheet most of the time, Draymond Green is not usually one to make the point difference for his team.

Green’s abilities lie off the stat sheet, and when the Golden State Warriors are beating teams easily already, Draymond’s deployment is almost useless. Being a pest against a losing squad is just beating up on someone who is already down.

Draymond would rather be the dawg that he is and make the difference against the big names, and the big teams, where he can employ his level of tenacity throughout the entire game.

For instance, Green managed 10 steals across his six-game Finals series against the Boston Celtics last year. A team known for their defensive abilities throughout the entire season fell to Draymond and his own defensive pressure.

One has to admire Green’s competitive drive. He has now won four championships alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the “Splash Brothers”, who put up enough stats for the Warriors, Green needs not worry about it.

With the accolades he has, still maintaining a drive to want to face the toughest opponents is a marvel. Draymond may catch flack for a lower stat sheet, but most know that his value is worth more than what appears on a piece of paper.

When you have Steph Curry and Klay Thompson on the court with you, there stands no reason why you should shoot the ball or focus on assists. There are entities on the court that can do those things much better than Draymond Green, and he understands that.

Using that patience to undermine opponents in different ways is what makes Draymond the dawg that he is. What lifts him up to that elite level of tenacity is the desire he holds to play the difficult teams over the easy ones.

No path worth celebrating is paved easily. The hardest tasks bring the best celebrations, as Green is well aware of.