Draymond Green Says He Looks Forward to Playoff Scrutiny Surrounding Warriors

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is ready to embrace the added attention as the Dubs enter the 2017 NBA playoffs as the favorite to capture their second championship in the past three years.

On Friday, the 27-year-old outspoken lightning rod explained to ESPN's Marc Stein on SportsCenter he likes being the center of attention this time of year because it means people care.

"I'm looking forward to that scrutiny because it's great," Green said. "If you don't have scrutiny, if you don't have pressure, if you don't have spotlight, you're not doing something right. No one cares. So I'm looking forward to it."

He added: "It's been a great [regular season]. The scrutiny has kind of been there—it's up and down—but playoffs ... it's a completely different level of everything. So I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's fun.‎"

Green didn't find himself in the spotlight quite as much during the regular season for a variety of reasons. The most notable being the arrival of Kevin Durant to give Golden State a fourth marquee name alongside the versatile power forward and the guard tandem of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

The team's defensive stalwart is still a question mark when it comes to channeling his emotion the right way, though. ESPN noted he finished the regular season with 15 technical fouls, two flagrant fouls and one ejection, all increases from last year.

Of course, his suspension for Game 5 of last season's NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers for flagrant foul accumulation helped the Cavs storm back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series.

Green told Stein he's learned his lesson: "Obviously being suspended from Game 5—just not putting myself in those positions, not accumulating flagrant fouls, [or] technical fouls, to even put the decision in someone else's hands."

The Warriors, who open the postseason against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday afternoon, will need the forward to keep his head on his shoulders to navigate a playoff run that could include a meeting with the San Antonio Spurs and a rematch with the Cavaliers.

Oddsmakers like their chances of surviving the journey, though. OddsShark pointed out the Dubs are an overwhelming title favorite with minus-200 odds at the start of the playoffs.

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