2. He has championship experience
Needless to say, the Lakers are hoping to win their 17th NBA world championship. On a squad that hasn’t accomplished that yet, it helps to have some guys who have gone all the way on other teams.
Green, along with LeBron, Rajon Rondo, Quinn Cook and JaVale McGee, has hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy before. Twice in fact. One came with the Raptors last season, and another against LeBron and the Miami Heat when he was on the San Antonio Spurs.
Come playoff time, and especially if the Lakers reach the NBA Finals (something Green has done three times), he will not be nervous or in awe of the significance of the moment. If anything it will be old hat for him, especially after playing for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
As the old saying goes, defense wins championships, and therefore, Green will know how to get key stops in championship games for the Lakers. Perhaps he will also hit a memorable three-pointer or two, a la guys like Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw or Michael Cooper.