Danny Green recently spoke to Frank Vogel about his commitment to the defensive end of the court for the Los Angeles Lakers this coming season.
After missing out on Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Lakers moved quickly to sign his teammate, Danny Green.
Green was a very important part of the Toronto Raptors’ championship run last season, and was also a key player when he won with the San Antonio Spurs earlier in his career. While Green might not be 20-point per game player, he knows his role, and he succeeds at it.
In his career, Green has emerged as one of the best 3-and-D players in the league. With a great three-point shot, and the ability to lock up multiple positions on the defensive end, Green is a valuable weapon for a team.
Recently, Green said he spoke with Frank Vogel about what to expect from him next season. Here’s what he had to say via Christian Rivas of SilverScreenAndRoll.
"“I would expect that it’s the way they’ve seen me in the past, and that’s just spacing the floor,” Green said of Vogel’s expectations for him. “We’re looking forward to the upcoming season, and I told him things he can expect from me, but we haven’t talked about strategy or where he’s planning on using me. Offensively, that’s not my focus. For me it’s always been the defensive end of the floor, and I told him that. He’s excited about it.”"
As a defensive-minded coach, Vogel certainly like hearing this from Green. When Vogel was having his most success with the Indiana Pacers, they were one of the best defensive teams in the league. Those players bought into competing on that end of the floor, and they were a threat to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.
With the Lakers, the defense was a weakness last season. While they started off the season with a strong defensive group, injuries really hurt them on that end of the court. Toward the end of the season, there was very little defense played with the season all but over.
However, with additions like Green, the Lakers have added some players that are good defenders and three-point shooters. With two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, having guys like Green to complement them makes for a championship-caliber team.