With the Golden State Warriors already set to face the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoffs, some of their players pointed out how they are not familiar with their opponents in the first round.
Kevin Durant and Draymond Green agreed that the Blazers are a different squad now compared to the last time they played them. They now have talented young center Jusuf Nurkic, who they brought in to their fold before the trade deadline in February, and has made a huge impact for them — though Nurkic is waiting to return from an injury.
The former MVP and four-time scoring champion detailed, via Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area, what he thinks is the main difference of having Nurkic in their lineup, as compared to Mason Plumlee. He also had nothing but good words to say about Damian Lillard, and talked about his ability to step up his game in important matches.
“They’re a different team.”
“You’re adding a guy that can score in the post, that’s a load down there on the glass, a great roller to the rim. It’s different. When they had Plumlee, they were playing through him up top. To have a guy that can pass but also score in the post, we definitely got our work cut out for us.”
“When you look at Damian Lillard, he’s a player that kind of likes playing with that chip on his shoulder, and he thrives under pressure. He came through for them. That’s what superstar players do, and that’s what he is.”
Green echoed his teammate's statement by also saying they play with a different style now, and admitted that they will scout some of their games to prepare for their series.
“They’re a different team since the last time we played them.”
“They’re playing with a lot more confidence. They’re feeling really good about themselves, so we definitely want to check some of their latest games out to see what they’re doing as of late.”
The Blazers were swept by the Dubs in their season series, 4-0. However, with their renewed confidence and a big man capable of holding his own inside the paint, it will be interesting to see how they will compete against them and if they can give them a run for their money in the playoffs.
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