We asked NBA reporters about Danny Green and how he'll make Grizzlies, Ja Morant better

The newest toy tends to be the shiniest, so Danny Green’s light is sparkling right now.

The 13-year NBA veteran is expected to make his debut for the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday (6 p.m., Bally Sports) against the Portland Trail Blazers. Green has been recovering from surgery after tearing his ACL and LCL in the playoffs last season while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s hard to sum up what Green will bring to the Grizzlies. He’s a three-time NBA champion who has been a knockdown shooter and quality wing defender throughout his career. Green is also a 35-year old wing coming off a major knee injury on an expiring contract.

"Danny’s mobility and athleticism were fading a few years ago even before his injury, but in terms of shooting and being a help defender, he can probably still help the Grizzlies," said Kyle Goon, Lakers beat reporter for the Orange County Register. "... Most importantly, he knows how championship teams function having been on three of them, one of just four NBA players to win rings with three different franchises."

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Veteran leadership and winning ways

One thing that’s stood out in Green’s short time in Memphis is the respect he’s earned in the locker room. Memphis has one of the NBA’s youngest rosters, and Green is the only player above the age of 30.

With that experience comes a lot of tests. At his most recent stop in Philadelphia, Green played with a roster that dealt with Ben Simmons requesting a trade and navigating that process.

“Joel Embiid was the best player, but Danny Green was the leader of the locker room," said Philadelphia Inquirer 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey, who covered Green during his two seasons in Philadelphia. "He was the guy that kept everything together.”

Green and Kawhi Leonard were traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors. At the time of the trade, reports indicated that Leonard was unhappy in San Antonio, but Green was looped in the deal. According to Sean Woodley of Locked on Raptors podcast, it was Green who helped made the transition easier for Leonard.

“Danny is just like a solid dude to have to make everyone happier," Woodley said. "That was really the effect he had on the Raptors. I don’t think the Kawhi trade ends in a title for the Raptors if Danny Green is not involved.”

Shooting gravity

Desmond Bane is one of the NBA’s best shooters, and Green was someone he watched throughout his progress. Now that they are teammates, the Grizzlies may have the option of putting them on the floor together in spurts while star point guard Ja Morant attacks the basket.

“He’ll take a lot off of Ja because you got to respect him because he’s a known commodity in the league as a guy who can knock down shots," Pompey said.

“If you leaving him hanging on the perimeter, he’s going to burn you," Woodley said.

Green has played alongside dominant paint scorers like Embid, Tim Duncan, LeBron James and Anthony Davis in his career. He won championships with James, Duncan and Davis, plus he was a key cog in the success of the 76ers.

Pompey noted that how in each of the Sixers’ second-round playoff losses in Green’s two seasons, he was injured.

"That was part of the reason why they lost," Pompey said.

Like most shooters, Green has the ability to go on hot stretches, and then he'll have other moments when it feels like he needs to stop shooting.

“Even when he’s cold, he’s still doing things that are valuable with the defense,” Woodley said. “The space he provides is very real.”

Memphis leads the NBA in paint scoring. Sometimes when Bane doesn't have it going from 3-point range, it makes for a long night shooting the basketball.

Green's reputation as a shooter helped him win championships. Like Memphis, the some of Lakers' biggest questions during their championship run in 2020 were about 3-point shooting and how it would balance out their inside dominance.

"Yes, Danny was not an elite shooter that year in LA but he was still a very good one, and one of the team’s strengths was its starting lineup," Goon said. "The reason the Lakers could get away with playing Anthony Davis and JaVale McGee together was because of the spacing Danny and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope/Avery Bradley helped create."

Wing defense

Memphis has struggled on the road in large part because of its inability to prevent opponents from shooting high percentages on 3-pointers. The quality of the looks starts with preventing dribble penetration, which is all about staying in front of the player assigned to you.

Green has been a quality defender in his career. In 2017, he earned a spot on the second-team All-Defensive team.

“He’s not the guy that he was years ago, but he’s heady and he’s a smart player,” Pompey said. “He’s not like a lockdown all-defensive type of guy, but at the same time, he can hold his own. He’s far from a liability. He was also one of their better defenders.”

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: NBA reporters on Danny Green potential impact for Memphis Grizzlies