Draymond Green Slams Knicks in Playoff Prediction

Draymond Green isn't a believer in the New York Knicks, as he's siding with the Philadelphia 76ers in their first-round matchup.

Mar 18, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts in / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

With his Golden State Warriors left behind in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament, all Draymond Green can do is talk about the NBA Playoffs and the New York Knicks.

Reduced to a spectator, Green isn't a believer in the New York Knicks, who will open their playoff trek against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden (6 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN). Offering postseason analysis on his eponymous web series, Green favors the seventh-seeded Sixers despite the Knicks' 50-win season that includes a 3-1 advantage over Philadelphia.

"We know the reality: the New York Knicks are way easier to beat than the Boston Celtics," Green emphatically declared. "In fact, I've got the Philadelphia 76ers beating the New York Knicks, because who's going to stop Joel (Embiid)?"

Mar 24, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots the / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia is 31-8 when Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, dresses for them this season, but one of those defeats was a 36-point shellacking at the hands of the Knicks on Jan. 5. That hasn't stopped Green and others from forecasting an upset and spoiling New York's finest outing since 2012-13.

Thanks to an ugly Embiid-less record, the 76ers had to partake in the Eastern Play-In stage on Wednesday night, which saw them douse the Miami Heat 105-104. Embiid scored eight points for the 76ers in the final period and dished out the assist on Kelly Oubre's successful and-one that provided a lead that proved permanent in the last minute.

With the win, Philadelphia avoided a winner-take-all Play-In finale where the prize is a best-of-seven set with the NBA-leading Boston Celtics. Green went as far as to say that the Heat, who are missing both Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, would also be capable of burning the Knicks in another playoff series, having disposed of them in six during last year's conference semifinal round.

Feb 29, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) controls the / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

"Joel took over every play down the stretch vs. the Miami Heat ... the Miami Heat in which we know ... probably would beat the Knicks too ... but that's neither here nor there," Green said. "I've got Philly for sure. Nobody's stopping Joel."

Green has certainly changed his tune from last month, when he praised the Knicks for "playing at a very high level" in the face of numerous major injuries after they conquered Golden State by a 119-112 final at Chase Center on Mar. 18.

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