The Minnesota Timberwolves ruined the Lakers' title hopes in round one, and hope to do the same in the semifinals against the Warriors. It will be a physical, chippy series, especially with Draymond Green on the opposing sideline, but the Timberwolves have a player that knows Draymond better than most -- Donte DiVincenzo.
The guard spent the 2022-23 season in Golden State with Draymond. The Warriors wanted to keep DiVincenzo, but couldn't afford to keep him, so he signed with the Knicks in free agency. Draymond and Steph Curry played a significant role in getting DiVincenzo to sign with Golden State in 2022 free agency.
One of the storylines entering the Timberwolves-Warriors series is Draymond. He racked up four technical fouls in Golden State's first-round win over Houston. He's three technicals away from being suspended for one game. He also picked up two flagrant fouls. He'll be suspended for a game if he reaches four flagrant fouls.
Everyone who watches the NBA knows that Draymond despises Rudy Gobert. Remember the chokehold? Timberwolves fans know Draymond will try to get under Rudy's skin, but that's where DiVincenzo comes in.
Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo knows Draymond Green's tricks
DiVincenzo called Draymond an "ultra competitor," but he said Minnesota has ultra competitors, too. The Timberwolves know what they're getting with Draymond.
Not only does he know firsthand the tricks that Draymond likes to pull, but DiVo has no issue getting physical and taking up for his teammates. In the playoffs last year for the Knicks, DiVincenzo was the first New York player to get in Joel Embiid's face after the center purposefully pulled Mitchell Robinson's legs out from under him.
DiVincenzo and Draymond might be friends off the court, but that won't matter when the ball is tipped in Game 1 on Tuesday. They have goals that directly go against one another. Draymond could get in his own way by letting his emotions get the best of him. Maybe seeing Rudy will be enough to trigger him. He can't seem to help himself.
Minnesota needs to stay composed and not let Draymond get in their heads because he will try to do that as soon as the game starts. DiVo can help with that. And, of course, it'd help too if DiVincenzo knocked down a couple of threes, along with keeping the Warriors from jacking up too many threes of their own.