The Los Angeles Lakers may not have landed Kawhi Leonard to cap off what would have been a historically great offseason, but they did make another signing that is actually a terrific move and will make the team quite a bit better: Danny Green.
Obviously, Green's name does not carry the same cachet as Leonard's. He isn't a two-time Finals MVP, he is not a superstar and he is not even an All-Star. But he is still a really good piece.
The Lakers got their offseason started by trading for Anthony Davis, which was all well and good. After all, Davis is a top five player in the league who will be joining another top five player in LeBron James.
So, the Lakers had a pair of top five players and Kyle Kuzma, which was great. However, there was one glaring hole on Los Angeles' roster, and that was the complete lack of perimeter shooting.
Green should be able to step in and fill that role perfectly.
I will say that I still think LA needs to add another shooter or two, because even with Green, the Lakers are very thin on three-point shooting, but at the very least, they added a two-time NBA champion who knows what it takes to win and has proven he can hit big shots on the big stage.
After three straight lackluster seasons with the San Antonio Spurs where it looked like Green's legendary shot was escaping him, the 32-year-old rebounded to have the most efficient season of his career this past year, making 45.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
It's not just Green's ability to make triples that makes him an asset, either. It's his gravity, as defenses have to keep a body on him at all times, which should open up the paint for James and Davis.
LeBron's best seasons have always come when he was surrounded by shooters. Yes, he had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, but he also had bombers like Shane Battier, Mike Miller and Ray Allen. Then, in Cleveland, there was Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Channing Frye, J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver, all of whom could stroke the three-ball.
That's why James' fit on LA this past year was always strange, as the Lakers completely lacked shooters, allowing defenses to cheat off of the perimeter and stack the paint.
Teams will still be able to do that to an extent with this Los Angeles team, particularly when Green is off the floor, but no matter how you slice it, the Lakers added one of the league's most lethal perimeter threats.
Not only that, but Green is also a fine defensive player and has always been one of the most underrated perimeter defenders in the league. He can guard 1 through 3 and has the length, athleticism and footspeed to give opposing guards and wings a whole lot of trouble.
Of course, Green is limited as to what he can do offensively, as he is not the type of guy who is going to put the ball on the floor and create for himself. He is almost solely a spot-up shooter, but you won't find a better one than Green.
The Lakers just got better on both ends of the floor by adding Green, and now, James finally has a wing he can trust from beyond the arc.
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