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Toronto Raptors: Ranking Raptors players in 2018-19

By Jordan Fleguel

TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 30: Kyle Lowry #7 and Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors high five during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves January 30, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 30: Kyle Lowry #7 and Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors high five during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves January 30, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
San Antonio Spurs – Danny Green (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images) /

#7 Danny Green

Danny Green’s usefulness can be broken down in two ways.  There’s the face value of what he brings to the table – a defensive-minded wing who can knock down three-pointers and play well within a winning culture.

A solid player, who does his job well, but doesn’t excel in many other areas.  On this basis, he doesn’t deserve such a high-ranking on this list. However, Green provides something else, something less tangible, that makes him a lock at #7.

Green’s championship pedigree cannot be overlooked.  To clear up what has become a very common misconception, Green wasn’t just a role player for the Spurs when they reached consecutive NBA finals in 2013 and 2014.  He was a starter who was capable of scoring 20-25 points while guarding elite wing players on the defensive end.

During the 2013 NBA Finals, Green led the Spurs in scoring in two of the seven games and was the team’s second-leading scorer in another.  His performance was so impressive and unexpected that before the Spurs lost games six and seven of the series, some pundits were considering Green as there pick for Finals MVP.

Green’s experience and proven ability to deliver under immense pressure in the NBA Finals makes him far more valuable than his statistics suggest.

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