Los Angeles Lakers: Danny Green will be the x-factor for this team

3. Defense

Green in his career has always shown to be a good defender, as shown by his career averages on the defensive end. He has finished six different seasons with a defensive rating of 99 or below, he has never finished a season with higher than a 104.3 rating.

In the 2016-17 season, he made the all-defensive second team after finishing the season with a 101.7 rating on that end. His 2015-16 season was even better as his 95.7 defensive rating was one of the best in the NBA regardless of position.

Green is also one of, if not the best, transitional defensive players in the NBA, constantly making plays that many players would not. His relentless energy and ability to ball track, has come up numerous times with chase-down blocks and poke steals from behind that have taken away easy baskets for the opponents.

In a six-year span from the 2010-11 season to the 2015-16 season Green was always at or below a 99 defensive rating and that same six-year span graded out overall combined for a 97.7 rating. Middle of the pack is usually around 102-105, so those numbers grade out as elite on that end.

Green has played next to Kawhi Leonard a majority of his career, so he hasn’t had to guard the best player on the other team for an entire game. But Leonard doesn’t play 48 minutes per game and Green has had the challenges of guarding guys like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James, among others in his career.

Green was instrumental in his Spurs days guarding Westbrook and Durant when they were with OKC, flipping with Leonard based on the matchup. Then heading over to Toronto he would take on any defensive challenge that was sent his way. He never backs down from any challenge and shows grit on the defensive end that is lacking in the NBA these days.

Having Green on the team will allow James to have easier matchups on the defensive end. James, when motivated, can still lock up when he wants. But, as he gets older, he needs to conserve energy for later in the season and the Lakers goal should be getting him more rest this season and Green is more than equipped to take that challenge each night.