Can Danny Green be the 2014 X Factor?

[Embedded]

If he learns to put the ball on the floor during hard closeouts and operate off the dribble? I am looking to see how he improved over the summer. Dude played excellent defense in the playoffs, and set a record for 3's in the finals. His horrible 2012 playoffs was definitely erased in 2013. Is his coming back the next year much improved a tendency?

[tmtcsc]

I think you nailed it. We know he's a good defender and 3 pt shooter but he needs to develop another shot and learn how to handle the ball to take his game to the next level. When Miami paid attention to him he was done.

[look_at_g_shred]

If he can use the pump fake effectively, dribble the ball then spot up again for like a 15- 18 footer, and drain them consistently, i'd say so. Last season he improved on cutting without the ball and that was huge for us. He needs more of that, and to finish at the rim! I know a lot of us are disappointed with this off-season, but don't realize how good are team is right now, and if our role players (green, splitter, joseph) can improve vastly, we have another great shot in June.

[hooperflash]

He's putting in the work, that video on spurs.com was great to see.

[barakz21]

I think as early as last year, he was just that. He made 3s, we won. Missed them, we lost.

[td4mvp2k]

Who the BU PG iz would be more of an xfactor then green who does have to get betta on O

[monkeypunk]

DG just needs to learn a little mid range pullup and how to finish a layup. Should open up his 3 game even more.

[xmas1997]

DG just needs to learn a little mid range pullup and how to finish a layup. Should open up his 3 game even more.

Let's hope he is progressing nicely.
As we all know at the end of every campaign the coaches get with each player and lay out what they need to do in order to progress further. I'm sure Danny knows exactly what he needs to do.

[NickiRasgo]

He should the develop his off-ball movement and midrange jumper and continue to improve his defense and 3pt shooting (though it's already good he needs more consistency).

[hyhy]

His D is overrated by Lebron's choke. Good on-ball defender but bad off-ball rotator.

[Proxy]

Personally, I think he's hit his ceiling. Last year's playoffs will be the highlight of his career.

[dallasmaverickslose]

Personally, I think he's hit his ceiling. Last year's playoffs will be the highlight of his career.

My head agrees with you, but my heart doesn't.

[timtonymanu]

Personally, I think he's hit his ceiling. Last year's playoffs will be the highlight of his career.

I feel this way too. But he's a hard worker. It won't surprise me if he develops a new part of his game for this season.

[-21-]

I hope I'm wrong but I doubt he'll make that big of an improvement anytime soon. I think he's peaked but that doesn't mean he sucks. Solid player with a great work ethic.

[Chinook]

Personally, I think he's hit his ceiling. Last year's playoffs will be the highlight of his career.

Setting a record that may never be broken and going toe-to-toe with the best player of this generation is one hell of a highlight. If the Spurs win Game Six, Green is a strong candidate for FMVP. He can become twice the player he was last year and never have another stretch like that.

As far as his ceiling goes, I think he's start to shoot more two-pointers. He isn't bad mechanically off the dribble, so that shouldn't be too big of an issue if he wants to get a counter-move. Also, he's good at shooting off screens, so the Spurs can run some plays through him. While he may not raise his 2K rating for lack of a better term, he can certainly play even more to his strengths and put up better numbers.

[Prime Time]

2 years ago Danny's peak was a scrub. A year ago it was a good piece but a choking one at that. This year it's a championship piece who can step up at the biggest stage, and for a while the Finals MVP favorite. Frankly I'll believe his peak when I see him get worse.

[cd021]

He can pump fake and pull in to an open space for a jumper, good enough. When another defender steps up, it gets very ugly. A floater was something Neal became semi effective with, given he wasn't tall, athletic, long or quick.

I think his off ball movement is good. He is still improving, clearly. This is really only his 3rd season and he has made major strides. He is one of the best shooters in the league and is an emerging top tier wing defender.

[cd021]

2 years ago Danny's peak was a scrub. A year ago it was a good piece but a choking one at that. This year it's a championship piece who can step up at the biggest stage, and for a while the Finals MVP favorite. Frankly I'll believe his peak when I see him get worse.

I agree. I'm not sure why people think he's reached his peak ,in essentially,his 3rd season.

[Holden_Caulfield]

Slow down buddy, I barely started watching the 2013 X factor.

[Brunodf]

Yes, he can

[dbestpro]

No, he can't.

He remains an excellent one dimensional jump shooter that can hit the shot when he is opened. Driving to the basket is a fundemental skill, and putting the ball on the foor are fundemental skills. If he has not learned how to do this by now, the likelyhood that he will seems minimal. He is a little less than Bowen on defense, but more consistent of a jump shooter when he is opened. This is still are great skills in team basketball. If he tries to be more than he is, his game could go the way of the dancing bear.

[xmas1997]

No, he can't.

He remains an excellent one dimensional jump shooter that can hit the shot when he is opened. Driving to the basket is a fundemental skill, and putting the ball on the foor are fundemental skills. If he has not learned how to do this by now, the likelyhood that he will seems minimal. He is a little less than Bowen on defense, but more consistent of a jump shooter when he is opened. This is still are great skills in team basketball. If he tries to be more than he is, his game could go the way of the dancing bear.

Not too many people know this, but Bowen was a pretty good shooter, especially when he was in Europe, yet terrible at free throws.

[mountainballer]

No, he can't.

He remains an excellent one dimensional jump shooter that can hit the shot when he is opened. Driving to the basket is a fundemental skill, and putting the ball on the foor are fundemental skills. If he has not learned how to do this by now, the likelyhood that he will seems minimal. He is a little less than Bowen on defense, but more consistent of a jump shooter when he is opened. This is still are great skills in team basketball. If he tries to be more than he is, his game could go the way of the dancing bear.

this.
of all Spurs players on the roster, he has maybe the least potential to become this factor.
we should hope that he get's slightly better and more consistant in what he can do, but he won't show up next season with some completly new skills. he is the perfect role player for the Spurs and I DO hope he never starts to think he could be more.
btw. the future success of DG will depend a lot on the development of Kawhi. the more Kawhi can develop his weaker skills (drive and contact, pass to the open shooter), the better complementary player DG will be.

[Captivus]

I think he can, but not because he will score 300 3PTs.
Teams will guard him a lot, and that will open spaces for other players. Hopefully Kawhi can take advantage, those two, when on the same side, could be a real problem to guard.
Green has become one of my favorite players, I refuse to say that he cant be the X Factor!!

[Proxy]

Setting a record that may never be broken and going toe-to-toe with the best player of this generation is one hell of a highlight. If the Spurs win Game Six, Green is a strong candidate for FMVP. He can become twice the player he was last year and never have another stretch like that.

Agreed, his performance was all-time.


As far as his ceiling goes, I think he's start to shoot more two-pointers. He isn't bad mechanically off the dribble, so that shouldn't be too big of an issue if he wants to get a counter-move. Also, he's good at shooting off screens, so the Spurs can run some plays through him. While he may not raise his 2K rating for lack of a better term, he can certainly play even more to his strengths and put up better numbers.

I don't really know how much more we could ask of him. The areas he could improve in seem to generally fall under his playmaking abilities, but that's something we'd expect of stars and not roleplayers imo. I was thinking his mental game could stand to improve... understanding his limitations, making in game adjustments, and playing to his strengths like you said. I can't see his actual skill set improving in any drastic amount though, and that's fine. He's a hard worker, like many have said already.

[Chinook]

I don't really know how much more we could ask of him. The areas he could improve in seem to generally fall under his playmaking abilities, but that's something we'd expect of stars and not roleplayers imo. I was thinking his mental game could stand to improve... understanding his limitations, making in game adjustments, and playing to his strengths like you said. I can't see his actual skill set improving in any drastic amount though, and that's fine. He's a hard worker, like many have said already.

He can become a bigger threat offensively by taking more two-pointers off screens. Teams can guard him by making sure they have someone near him at the three-point line. But if he were to run a play similar to the Spurs' Loop and just take the 18-footer, defenses have to change the way they think about him. Pop actually tried this last season, and Green was generally successful. He doesn't have to be able to make his own offense for him dramtically increase his PPP and ORtg.

[Proxy]

He can become a bigger threat offensively by taking more two-pointers off screens. Teams can guard him by making sure they have someone near him at the three-point line. But if he were to run a play similar to the Spurs' Loop and just take the 18-footer, defenses have to change the way they think about him. Pop actually tried this last season, and Green was generally successful. He doesn't have to be able to make his own offense for him dramatically increase his PPP and ORtg.

a la Rip Hamilton? I can't remember them setting the 18-footer up specifically so I can't really speak on it. If you say it worked, then hopefully we see it some more.

[Chinook]

a la Rip Hamilton? I can't remember them setting the 18-footer up specifically so I can't really speak on it. If you say it worked, then hopefully we see it some more.

I think it was Game Three of the WCSF where Green actually had a lot of offense come his way when the Spurs were testing Curry. I believe Green had an And-One on his Loop attempt. He had at least one in the Memphis series, too. But he didn't do it a lot by any means.