With the NBA ramping up activity in the hopes of resuming the 2019-20 regular season, Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green stopped by “First Take” earlier this week to discuss all things Purple and Gold. Green broke down L.A.'s championship formula, saying everything starts with LeBron James orchestrating the offense.
Green also said he believed James deserves league MVP honors (transcribed via Christian Rivas of SB Nation):
“We’ve got to have him because, mainly, he’s our point guard, he’s our facilitator — it starts with him. He’s a mismatch problem all over the floor, and he’s got to be able to read the pace of the game for us against certain teams. Like you said, he’s got to be at his best, he’s got to be healthy and play well. Not just him — AD, of course, too, is very crucial — but it definitely starts with him. He’s our engine; he’s the MVP of the league in my opinion.”
Of course, LeBron and Anthony Davis cannot win an NBA title on their own.
Green understands the role players need to carry their weight and said either himself, Kyle Kuzma, Avery Bradley or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope need to be dependable scoring options on any given night during the playoffs (via Rivas):
“We have a very deep team — a lot of depth — so guys like Kuz, Avery Bradley, myself, and KCP, we’re going to need those four guys on our group to be able to have a good night at least one night each throughout the playoffs.”
James and Davis have indeed been spectacular, but Green is right to point out the extent of L.A.'s depth.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka did an excellent job of bringing in excellent defenders like Green and Dwight Howard, who — along with Davis — have helped transform L.A.'s team defense.
But the Lakers will also need to score to win a title, and they will hope the likes of Green and KCP provide consistent floor-spacing and shooting throughout the playoffs.
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