NBA Playoffs: 10 sleeper players to watch in Round 1
By Tom West
Danny Green
Danny Green’s inclusion here isn’t necessarily based on how important he needs to be in the first round, but how he needs to start finding his rhythm immediately in order to be as beneficial to the Spurs going forward as possible.
In 2015-16, Green has recorded his worst shooting season in several years. Since 2011-12, he’s never averaged 1.5 or fewer made threes per game until now. And after averaging a career-high 2.4 last season, he’s experiencing a pretty significant drop off.
It’s simply because he’s been ice-cold by his typical standards since October, being a minimal factor in the Spurs’ exceptional offense with 7.2 points per game (his lowest mark since 2012) and a 33.2 percent three-point shot (his lowest mark since his rookie year).
If there’s a time the Spurs need Green to finally get back into his shooting rhythm and be a reliable option in their offense, it’s for the playoffs. Not because the Grizzlies will be any sort of struggle in the first round, but because the legendary 73-win Warriors will be waiting for them if they want to exit the Western Conference.
Against a team as formidable as the reigning NBA champs, Gregg Popovich will need every weapon firing on all cylinders.
After a whole season of struggling, though, it’s hard to see Green suddenly turning things around unless he magically recaptures the scorching-hot stroke he had during the Spurs’ Finals series in 2013 and 2014. At least if he stays cool, he’ll still be a highly valuable defender.
Next: J.J. Barea