Toronto Raptors: Whose stock is rising, plus Steady Freddy returns

Danny Green

Danny Green really doesn’t feature in this column as much as he should. This might only be his third or fourth time this season, but it might well not be the last.

Green averaged 14 points, four rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game this week, all while shooting 57-percent(!) from three. So, a pretty standard shooting week for Green, who is now shooting 44-percent from three on over five attempts per game for the Raptors this year.

Even with the likes of Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard on the team, Green is by far the team’s most dangerous three-point shooter, but teams still continue to slack on guarding him. Not that he minds.

It was the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder where Danny Green made his biggest impact, scoring 17 points on 10 shots and helping the Raptors to an overtime victory. As a function of the Raptors offense, Green won’t get to the line often as he spends the majority of his time on the perimeter, but when players like Kawhi Leonard drive to the rim, everything collapses. That leaves Green free to do his work, as shown in the clip below.

Kawhi Leonard attracts all the attention as he drives to the rim, Terrance Ferguson drifts inside to provide help and leaves Green wide open. Leonard kicks it out and Green hits the open three: money.

The Raptors three-point shooting was actually a huge component for success in the playoffs last year, with five players shooting over 40-percent while attempting more than two threes per game. Regardless, Green provides more than just marksman shooting, though. He ranks second out of all shooting guards for Defensive Real-Plus Minus, placing behind Andre Iguodala and is one of the top defensive guards in the league. Having that combination will be key for the Raptors this season.

Only a filler, though. Only a filler.