Kawhi Leonard is often described as the ultimate two-way player. In layman’s terms, this means that Leonard is just as potent on offense as he is on defense. He’s started to unlock the full potential of this Toronto Raptors roster. This is something that fan-favorite DeMar DeRozan was never able to do despite his strong skill-set.
Much talk has surrounded the team as Kawhi is an impending unrestricted free agent and could be lost for nothing if the Raptors don’t make the NBA Finals (and/or win it all). It remains to be seen what Kawhi’s uncle’s decision will be, but for now, the Raptors have 27 regular season contests and a postseason to go through.
So far, Toronto’s had strong contributions from the Claw (Klaw?). However, the guy who came with him has had an impact of his own – on both sides of the ball.
Danny Green is currently playing in his 10th NBA season at the sprite age of 31. He’s averaging 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on .446/.421/.903 shooting splits. His 3PT% leads all Raptors (and is 15th-best in the league). On top of that, his FT% ranks seventh in the league (not sure why he doesn’t qualify, he’s appeared and started in every game for Toronto this season).
Green is 6’6” with a 6’10” wingspan. This has helped him to post the fourth-best offensive box +/- on the team (1.1) and a better defensive box +/- (1.3) than Kawhi Leonard (0.8).
Despite playing 32% of his minutes as a SF, Green has managed to post a +12.4 +/- while on the court and a +16.6 +/- on/off split. Both of those marks are best on the team.
When Green came over in the offseason, he didn’t complain about being traded from the only franchise that he ever knew. He had invaluable postseason experience and had been a part of championship teams. He was ready to contribute and give all he had to offer before his own impending free agency.
Up to this point, he’s been everything and then some for the Six. With backup PG Fred VanVleet out for the foreseeable future and Jonas Valanciunas, C.J. Miles, and Delon Wright all in Memphis, the pressure is even higher for Green to contribute.
Fortunately for HC Nick Nurse, Green has always been cool under pressure.