Kendrick Perkins asserts Draymond Green on Lakers will prevent them from getting 'swept': "They could not control or guard Jokic"

Draymond Green made headlines yesterday when he declined his $27.6 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent.

On ESPN's "Get Up," Kendrick Perkins spoke about the possibility of Green going to the Lakers and the impact it might have:

"With [Nikola] Jokic being in the Western Conference, being the best player in the league right now, you definitely need a defensive duo like Draymond [Green] & [Anthony Davis]. He could put the Lakers on the top. They got swept all because they could not control or guard Jokic."

During the 2023 Western Conference Finals, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets swept the Lakers to advance to the NBA Finals. It was a disappointing showing from the LA team as they failed to secure a single win in the series.

Despite conversations circulating around Rui Hachimura's defense on Nikola Jokic being a factor in close games, Jokic would not be denied. He finished the series averaging 27.8 points per game (50.6% shooting, including 47.1% from 3-point range), 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists.

From Perkins' perspective, Lakers' Anthony Davis could use Draymond Green's presence on the roster, especially at the defensive end.

Davis is already an elite defender in his own right, but with Green next to him at the frontcourt, they can create some noise around the league.

Similar to the Lakers' disappointing finish in the postseason, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors did not fare any better.

After defeating the Sacramento Kings in seven games, they ended up losing in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

All season long, the Warriors have struggled to find some consistency, a stark comparison from who they were during the 2021-22 championship season.

During the regular season, Draymond Green averaged 8.5 PPG (52.7% shooting, including 30.5% from 3-point range), 7.2 RPG, and 6.8 APG. In the second-round series against the Lakers, he averaged 9.3 PPG (48.9% shooting, including 22.2% from 3-point range), 7.7 RPG, and 5.7 APG.

How did Jordan Poole really feel about his altercation with Draymond Green?

After losing to the Lakers in Game 6, Jordan Poole addressed any notion regarding his heated altercation with Draymond Green having any impact on the Warriors' season.

"I mean, we made it to the second round of the playoffs. We had a good season, guys stepped up and had a lot of exciting moments. I don't think there was anything that was changing any of that."

Despite all the backlash Poole received from a subpar postseason run, he remained professional during his media interviews.