One of the biggest storylines for the Los Angeles Lakers in the bubble has been their struggles from beyond the arc. The Lakers shot the three at the worst clip of all 22 teams during seeding games, and there was no one who failed to find rhythm more than Danny Green.
Green, who is known as one of the league’s most consistent spot-up shooters, simply could not get the range from the 3-point line in his seven games. He made just seven of 28 attempts, an abysmal 25%.
Although Green’s floater was mildly successful, his percentage from the field wasn’t much better, shooting just 38.8% overall. Despite that, Green isn’t worried and has his focus elsewhere.
“As a shooter that happens. You go through lulls, but the odds are in my favor at this point. I’m looking at the positives and bright side of it,” he said.
“I haven’t lost any confidence and I’m not hesitating with taking my shot. I feel very comfortable, feel like I’m starting to get back to my normal self, but my biggest focus is defense more than anything.
“Trying to stop whoever it is we end up playing, it’s going to be a tough task defensively. And we’ve got to get out and run. That’s our best offense and we’ll get some easy shots.”
There’s no doubting that a shooter of Green’s caliber has broken out of slumps like this before. So while this latest struggles are coming at a very inopportune time with the playoffs about to begin, the concern may be misplaced.
Another reason that Green may not be so worried is his career numbers in the postseason. No matter what his regular season looks like, Green has always managed to get consistency when the lights are brightest. In his 124 career postseason appearances, Green has shot 39.7% from three while also getting over a steal a game.
Beyond just the three-point shooting, the defense should be what keeps people at ease. Even if Green is missing shots, his value as a defender more than makes up for it. He doesn’t need to shoot a high percentage for the Lakers to win so long as he is a valuable defender.
But a nearly 40% career three-point figure is something all Lakers fans can look forward to with the postseason beginning on Tuesday.
Green confident Lakers are prepared for playoffs
The Lakers secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference early into the seeding games, which was believed to have been a factor in their uneven play. Now of the verge of beginning the playoffs, Green is confident the team is prepared mentally.
“We know what time it is. We have a lot of vets on this team. It’s time to lock in and focus, regardless of what’s happening before the bubble, in the bubble,” he said. “At this point none of it matters. We have to be ready from the tip of Game 1. Anything can happen in the playoffs, momentum and energy can shift. Hopefully we stay healthy, that’s the biggest key.
“The team that’s the healthiest and playing the best is going to be the team that’s left standing. We have enough veterans, leaders and guys who have been there to understand the task at hand.”
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