The Golden State Warriors have their work cut out for them this season playing in a crowded Western Conference, but star forward Draymond Green took things a step further and disrespected the the opposing East in his latest podcast.
Green's podcast is back for another season where he can speak his mind on the Warriors and all things NBA. In his first episode back for the 2025-26 campaign, the 4x NBA champion not mince words when talking about the Eastern Conference.
Draymond Green brutally disrespects Eastern Conference challengers
Green revealed his belief that no team in the East can compete for the championship this season, with that coming despite just 3-4 games being played by each team a week into the new campaign.
“And quite honestly, I just don't know that the East has any teams that can compete at a championship level with the teams at the top of the West. Obviously Boston being down right now, I think plays a huge role in that...I don't see a team in the East that can compete on a championship level with the top teams in the West," Green said.
Green does have something of a point even if he's putting things rather bluntly. The Boston Celtics are without their star Jayson Tatum, proving a big part of the reason why Al Horford defected to the Warriors in free agency this offseason.
Tyrese Haliburton's brutal injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season means the Indiana Pacers will have a hard time making a run this year. Plus, the Milwaukee Bucks clearly still have things to figure out even though they've managed to hold onto Giannis Antetokounmpo for now.
Perhaps the two most likely teams to square off in the Eastern Conference Finals will be the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, but Green is right that neither of those teams would look particularly scary going up against any of the top teams in the West.
Still, Green has to know he is giving bulletin board material to any team in the Eastern Conference that will play Golden State this season. Perhaps he welcomes that as a player who is openly antagonistic on the court, but it is still a bold move to brutally disrespect potential challengers in this manner.
As for the Western Conference, Green views the true contenders as the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors, the Denver Nuggets, and both teams in Los Angeles. He said he thinks both the Lakers and Clippers need to get a little lucky to make a run, but if they stay healthy he thinks they could be a legitimate threat.
We will see how Green's predictions for the year end up looking by the end of the season, but he may be right in saying that the East does not stand too much of a shot against the firepower in the West.