Los Angeles Lakers: Danny Green will put himself in the Lakers history books in year one
Danny Green has been an elite 3-point shooter in his career and that will lead him to become the Los Angeles Lakers single-season leader in 3-pointers made in his first season with the team.
Danny Green was brought in this offseason by the Los Angeles Lakers on a two year, $30 million dollar deal that will prove to be the Lakers best signing this offseason. Green had a breakout season last year with the Toronto Raptors and played a vital role in helping them win a championship.
Green possesses an elite quality in terms of being able to hit 3-point shots. Last season, he converted 45.5% of his attempts, which ranked 2nd in the NBA in qualified players, behind only Joe Harris. His 198 3-pointers made ranked 13th in the NBA, and he did take well over 100 fewer 3-point shots than all of the 12 players in front of him.
Now playing with the Lakers, Green will have a ton of space to be able to shoot. He will be able to get out in transition and pick his spots, with one of the best players in NBA history in regard to court vision, in LeBron James. James plays as if he has four sets of eyes and he will find Green in all of his spots and he will be able to convert those opportunities.
Looking at past players who have been 3-point shooters, Green is slated to easily become the team’s single-season leader in 3-pointers made in his first season with the team. You look at players in the past such as Derek Fisher, Nick Van Exel, Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones and Nick Young, that have been 3-point shooters. Between all of them, the highest number has been Nick Van Exel at 183 in the 1994-95 season.
Green has topped that number twice, as he hit 198 last season and then 191 in the 2014-15 season back when he played for the San Antonio Spurs. He did that on 435 attempts last season and 457 attempts back with the Spurs. For comparison, Van Exel shot 511 attempts in his season that he set the Lakers’ single-season record.
Kobe Bryant is second with 180 made 3-pointers in a season and he attempted 518 that season to get to that number. The Lakers haven’t seen many efficient 3-point shooters over the years and they will see the luxury to have an elite 3-point shooter this season in Green.
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The Lakers were the second-worst 3-point shooting team in the league last year as they converted only 33.3% of their attempts. That was better than only the Phoenix Suns at 32.9%. This was not only due to their lack of guys who could knock down shots, but also due to their inability to space the floor with consistent guys.
Green leads a quartet of shooters that the Lakers brought in as Troy Daniels, Avery Bradley and Quinn Cook will also help in spacing the floor. Green will get a lot of open looks with James and Anthony Davis drawing attention in the paint, leaving the corners open for their shooters to thrive.
Look for Green to take 500 attempts from three this year and he should convert at least 200 of them at a minimum and possibly up to 225. That would by far blow out the competition in Lakers single-season leaders and cement his signing as the best one the Lakers made this offseason.
Looking towards this season, the efficiency Green shows will be enough to put him in the 3-point competition at All-Star weekend. He will finish among the top shooters for a second straight season and be a vital player on another championship contender as he looks to get a third ring on his resume.
Playing under Phil Handy again, whom he played for with the Raptors last season, will also help his growth with familiarity and the work Handy has done improving players over the years.
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It will be an interesting season, one with many hopes and Green will be put in the Lakers history books right out the gate as long as he can stay healthy.