Already eliminated from the playoffs and podcasting, Draymond Green has no faith in the Knicks.
“As [Sixers backup center] Paul Reed said, ‘We ain’t ducking nobody but we wanted the New York Knicks, that’s the easier team to beat.’ Paul Reed said it, I ain’t say it,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show.”
“We know that’s the reality. The New York Knicks are way easier to beat than the Boston Celtics. In fact, I got the Philadelphia 76ers beating the New York Knicks. Because who’s going to stop Joel [Embiid]?”
Green, the four-time champion with the Warriors, was referencing recent comments from Reed, who said the Sixers preferred the “easier” Knicks as an opponent rather than the Celtics.
It’s not exactly a crazy take since the Celtics had the best record in the NBA — by far — while the Knicks needed a win in Game 82 to clinch the second seed. But it’s still potential bulletin board material for the first-round Turnpike series.
Josh Hart wasn’t giving Reed a second thought.
“I don’t give a f–k about what he said,” Hart said Friday. “I couldn’t really care less. I don’t care.”
Despite being the second seed against No. 7, the Knicks-Sixers series is a betting toss-up, according to odds from DraftKings.
Green would put his money against the Knicks.
He also declared the they would “probably” lose to the Heat in the playoffs again.
“Got Philly for sure,” Green said. “Because nobody is stopping Joel.”
The Knicks had a clean injury report for Saturday’s Game 1 as of Friday — except for Julius Randle [surgery] — while the Sixers listed Embiid as “questionable” and De’Anthony Melton as “out.”
Embiid is managing his surgically repaired knee and was also “questionable” before playing 38 minutes in Wednesday’s victory over the Heat.
Melton will miss his second straight game with a back injury.
The defensive specialist guard, whose presence would be a big help for Philly on Jalen Brunson, only played 38 games this season because of the back issue.
Brunson cracked the top-15 of jersey sales for the second half of the season at the NBA Store, the league announced Friday.
The Knicks point guard, who wasn’t on the list for the season’s first half, is No. 15 — just above No. 14 LaMelo Ball, No. 13 Nikola Jokic and No. 12 Embiid.
The top jersey sellers were familiar names — No. 1 Stephen Curry, No. 2 LeBron James and No. 3 Jayson Tatum
Victor Wembanyama (No. 4), Giannis Antetokounmpo (5), Luka Doncic (6), Devin Booker (7), Kevin Durant (8), Damian Lillard (9), Tyrese Maxey (10) and Ja Morant (11) were the others on the list.
The Knicks were seventh overall in merchandise for the second half of the season.
They were behind the Lakers (No. 1), Celtics (2), Warriors (3), Bucks (4), Bulls (5) and Sixers (6).
