Draymond Green takes swipe at Alperen Sengun after playoff series

Draymond Green has another European big man whom he may not be too fond of.

Speaking this week on the latest episode of his self-titled podcast for The Volume, the Golden State Warriors star Green spoke on his team’s recently-concluded first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets (which the lower-seeded Warriors won in seven games). During his remarks, Green got in a shot at Rockets center Alperen Sengun (though he tried to cover it up with some light praise for Sengun).

Green specifically zeroed in on Sengun’s on-court antics during the series. The former Defensive Player of the Year Green believes Sengun did a little too much flopping (but added that he respected Sengun otherwise).

“Got a lot of respect for him,” said Green of Sengun. “You know, I’ve played against a lot of guys. I always tell people that in playoff series one of two things happen: Either you completely lose respect for someone or you gain a lot of respect for someone … You get to see who is really real. So Sengun is real. He ain’t back down at all.

“[But] what I would say to Sengun — flop a little less. Embellish a little less,” Green continued. “Because with a defender like me. Imma feed off that. He real, he physical, he ain’t backing down … A lot of respect for him.”

As Golden State’s de facto starting center during the Rockets series, Green drew Sengun as his primary defensive matchup. While the Warriors ultimately won in seven, Sengun still managed to put up 20.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game during his first-ever NBA postseason (including a ruthless poster dunk on Green himself along the way).

While the praise from Green for Sengun was nice, he still could not make it through the podcast without getting in a dig. But at least Green’s tone here was a lot more conciliatory than he historically has been with the big man that he will be matched up with during the Warriors’ next playoff series.