Opponents finding it’s not that easy beating Green
Danny Green, acquired from the Spurs, has already proven to be a game-changer for Toronto.
There are all kinds of players whose unique talents make them invaluable to the Toronto Raptors, players who have some flash and some obvious contributions to make.
Kyle Lowry for his heart, his shooting, his ability to dominate a game in different ways.
Kawhi Leonard for his two-way ability, his brute strength, his quiet leadership and the attention he always attracts from the opposition.
Pascal Siakam? His quickness and constant motion. Jonas Valanciunas? Size and bulk. Fred VanVleet? Grit. OG Anunoby? The promise of greatness to come.
On and on the list goes, each one as valuable in his way as the others, each with a particularly noticeable set of skills that are apparent even to the most undisciplined of eyes. Then there’s Danny Green. He doesn’t really do one thing spectacularly. He’s a good shooter, but not a classic dead-eye three-point specialist. He’s a fine defender, but it’s a stretch to say he’s quick or even fast. He’s not the greatest of ball-handlers or the sneakiest passer around.
Yet just look what happens when he’s not available?
Wednesday at home against Detroit? He was in the locker room getting treatment on a sore back when the Pistons mounted a 19-point comeback
to steal a win.
Friday in Boston? He was on the bench after fouling out, watching the Celtics dominate the final minute of regulation and five overtime minutes in a bitter loss. Saturday in Chicago? He didn’t miss a shot, was enough of a pest defensively that the Bulls shot a season-worst 34.9 per cent from the field and Toronto won with ridiculous ease.
Now it’s not all Green, but it’s a lot of Green. He’s just one of those guys that very good teams need: a steadying influence, a calming presence, a player who just plays and everyone benefits when he does.
Many others had vital roles in the two losses and Saturday’s win, and the sample size of Green’s contribution is small with more three quarters of the regular season still to come. But there’s no denying his value, and it should only increase as the Raptors become more familiar with each other and the season grinds on.
“He’s just one of those transcendent players who can play anywhere, any style, any sys- tem,” VanVleet said in a postgame scrum in Chicago on Saturday. “He’s a good defender, smart cuts, moves the ball well, and obviously adds the cherry on top with the three-point shooting. It’s special.”
At 31 years old and in the 11th season of an NBA career that’s included championships with the San Antonio Spurs, Green is one of the most accomplished players on the roster. His leadership and guidance are helping the Raptors though the early, get-acquainted portion of the season. They will become doubly important when the play- offs roll around.
“He’s a locked-in defender as a team guy,” coach Nick Nurse said. “He’s trying to keep guys on the same page, talking through coverages and talking through the switches and things like that. He’s got a really good attitude, and that’s a contagious thing.”
The biggest thing for the Raptors will be keeping Green whole throughout the entire season. Whether that means giving him games off for rest — a logical assumption given the way the handling of other veterans is going now — or limiting his minutes when he does play, he has to be healthy in April, May and June. He said he struggled with nagging injuries all last season in San Antonio. The Raptors can’t have a repeat of that.
“I move a lot better. I move a lot more efficiently,” Green told reporters of his early season health.
“I feel like myself. Not 100 per cent as athletic as I used to be, obviously getting older. At the beginning of the season last year, I was actually making plays at the rim, which is rare. I’m trying to get back to that.”