Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Reasons why Danny Green was their best signing

1. He has played with Kawhi Leonard and knows his game

If the Lakers and Clippers face off in the Western Conference Finals (which is what I’m personally hoping for), the fact that Green had played with Leonard each of the last eight years will help.

We don’t know how often Green will guard the two-time NBA Finals MVP in such a matchup, but when he does, the familiarity he must have with Leonard’s offensive game will come in handy. Especially since preparation is such a big part of playing good defense.

Surely, Green must’ve guarded Leonard in practice at least some of the time over the years, right?

One example of this from way back in the day was when the Lakers acquired Mychal Thompson in the mid-’80s. Not only did he give them the backup center they needed, but Thompson had played with Celtics Hall of Famer Kevin McHale in college, and therefore was able to contain him when the purple and gold defeated Boston for their fourth NBA title of the decade that year.

If a matchup of the Lakers and the Clippers does happen in the Western Conference Finals, having Green’s experience with Leonard might benefit the team greatly. While it will be hard to completely stop Leonard, Green might give the Lakers a great chance of slowing him down.