Getty Danny Green of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks to the press during Los Angeles Lakers media day.
Brought in during the immediate aftermath of Kawhi Leonard‘s decision, the Lakers are hoping Danny Green can help plug what was a gaping hole last season. While Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock played decent during stretches throughout the season, neither offered the caliber of perimeter defense and three-point shooting that the Lakers needed from their shooting guard.
While Caldwell-Pope is back for another year, Green was the big free agent signing this offseason. The 3 and D specialist looks poised to assume the starting role and should be leaned on for heavy minutes throughout the course of the season.
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Danny Green Praises Lakers’ Defense to Start Training Camp
Brought in largely due to his ability to lock down the perimeter, Green knows a thing or two about defense. Thus, when the former All-Defensive second-teamer throws some praise towards the defense, it is worth taking notice. Green specifically says how the Lakers look to all be in great shape already and have gotten a “defensive oriented” start to training camp so far.
Avery Bradley alongside the duo of big men in JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard have all been standouts at camp so far. Bradley, who claims to have dropped nearly 40 pounds this offseason, has drawn praise from nearly all of his teammates and looks to be re-establishing himself as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. Bradley was an All-Defensive second-teamer during his time with the Boston Celtics and was widely considered one of the best defenders in the league before injuries and awkward schematic fits followed him after his departure.
Danny Green’s Laker Fit & Role
Heading into the 2019-2020 season, arguably no player on the team has a more clear-cut role than Danny Green. Known for his ability to knock down the deep ball and play tenacious defense, Green is expected to do just that for the Lakers. Green should find himself frequently guarding the opposing team’s best scorer while serving as a floor-spacing weapon capable of consistently knocking down open three-pointers.
Green’s presence on the Lakers should be a huge boost to his teammates, as well as being potentially hugely beneficial to Green. Specifically, playing alongside LeBron James, Green should find himself the recipient of a number of kickouts and open looks from deep. James is arguably the best drive and kick player the sport has ever seen and his ability to collapse a defense should create even more open looks than Green saw playing alongside Kawhi Leonard on the championship-winning Raptors last season.
James posted excellent assist numbers despite not having a consistent weapon to pass out to last season and Green’s 45.5% shooting last year looks to be a massive upgrade over anyone the Lakers were previously able to trot out. Especially when you factor in that defenses also need to account for Anthony Davis in those situations, the chances of Green being the one left open becomes all that more possible.