How Draymond Green's influence helped Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman's Grizzlies' success

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and his son walked towards the Memphis Grizzlies bench during warmups before Game 2 on Tuesday. Xavier Tillman Sr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. had just finished their workouts and stood to greet their former coach.

They posed for pictures and Jackson and Tillman went on to talk with more guests. Izzo stood to the side with his arms folded but the smile never left his face. There was pride in not just seeing two former Spartans starting for the Grizzlies but a third,  Draymond Green, who has already made a name for himself with the Golden State Warriors.

“They talk about brotherhoods at some schools, I think we got it as good as any,” Izzo said before Game 2. “These guys now are the new generation, especially the two that are here.”

The love between Jackson, Tillman and Green has been tested during the Western Conference semifinals. Green and Jackson have talked back-and-forth during games and in Game 2, Tillman caught Green with an elbow while chasing a loose ball.

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The hit required stitches and also a fine for Green flipping off fans with both middle fingers leaving the court. With his eye still swollen postgame, Green didn’t know if Tillman’s elbow was inadvertent or not but didn’t care.

The brotherly bond was tested but both knew it was the price of playoff basketball.

““We can’t talk. None of that during the series. We got to lock on and try to win. Afterward, we can do it,” Tillman said.

“They’re going to try to take your head off. I’m going to try to take their head off. That’s just the reality of it,” Green added. “You’re competing for something that you put your heart into … you dedicate a lot of time to this, you sacrifice a lot of things for this. So ultimately, they stand in the way of what I want, I stand in the way of what they want.”

Competition pauses love but doesn’t erase it. Both Jackson and Tillman see Green as a mentor and Green praised both for their growth as young players.

Jackson will likely make his first All-Defensive team this season, something Green has done six times. Tillman modeled his game after Green as an undersized power forward known for rebounding and defense.

“I’ve watched his career every step of the way, trying to figure out how I can mold mine like his and stay in this league for a long time and be productive on the things I’m most comfortable at,” Tillman said.

Izzo often compared Green to Tillman when draft evaluators sought his opinion. When scouts said Tillman was too slow or too short to have an impact, he reminded them of similar evaluations of Green, who became an All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year and three-time NBA champion.

Tillman might not be on that trajectory but Green said he's already playing “like a 10-year pro.” He remembered Tillman hitting two clutch 3-pointers in last season's play-in game that ended the Warriors’ season and compared him to teammate Kevon Looney as a reliable role player.

“X is a guy you want on your team. He’s just going to figure it out and they know that,” Green said. “He’s that guy, he’s ready. You go to him. Leave him there for 20 games, you go to him the 21st game, he will be ready. He’s going to bring what he brings to the floor.”

Green also had praise for Jackson’s growth. He knew Jackson would be a great player before he was the No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft and four years later, he’s called him special.

As the series shifts to San Francisco on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC) tied 1-1, things will likely stay heated. Once it's over, all three will continue their friendship.

“It’s been great to see those guys grow,” Green said. "I don’t want to see them grow much right now. But love is love. My love for them don’t change no matter what."

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You can reach Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_B) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com