What does Danny Green’s performance really mean?

If you have turned on a TV recently, or been on any social media site, you have probably heard the name Danny Green. That is a very familiar name for Tar Heel fans. Green was a member of the 2009 National Championship team. Danny was a great 3 point shooter in college, and has now carried that over to the pros.

Jun 16, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (4) celebrates hotting a three-point shot against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of game five in the 2013 NBA Finals at the AT

Green now has the NBA Finals record for most 3’s during any Finals series in NBA history! Danny will probably hit another 3 while you are reading this article. He has more than Ray Allen had in the 2008 Finals against the Lakers. If you surpass Ray Allen in any shooting record, you are a good shooter. Ray Allen has made a decent career out of shooting 3’s to say the least. He holds the record for most 3’s in a career. So I would say that is a great accomplishment for Danny Green.

But what does this Danny Green mania really mean? Is it just some great, lucky performance? Or does this change how scouts and teams look at free agents and players coming out of college? Will it change how NBA teams play the NBA Draft this month?

One of the first things that came to my mind while watching Danny Green in the Finals, was now former Tar Heel, Reggie Bullock. Bullock declared for the draft this year, and that decision drew some criticism. People claimed that Bullock is not ready, and it was a poor choice on his part. I was one of those people. But now, after watching Danny Green, my opinion has changed. What NBA teams now are looking for to come off their bench, to provide offense and energy, is 3 point shooting. Reggie Bullock fits that category. Bullock shot 43% from 3 last year. In 2008-2009, which was Danny Green’s last year in college, he shot 41%. With a slightly better percentage wise than Green. But what will give Bullock an advantage over Green, is his size. At 6 foot 7, 205 lbs, Reggie has the ability to guard bigger players. Stretching out to possibly guard the power forwards, he has that advantage over a majority of other 3 point shooters.

If Bullock gets drafted into a system that he fits into, expect some success from Bullock in the NBA. What has helped Danny Green, and what will help Bullock in the NBA, is that he won’t get as much attention by opposing defenses. The fact Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and another shooter Gary Neal are on the court at the same time helps a lot. In college, Reggie Bullock was given a majority of the attention by opposing defenses. That won’t be the case in the NBA. Like in Danny Green’s case, teams have to focus on so many other players. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Gary Neal. It helps create Green open 3’s, and it will do the same with Reggie Bullock.

The whole NBA world is watching the NBA Finals, and is seeing Danny Green’s performance. NBA teams, and fans, will want a Danny Green of their own. Expect to see 3 point shooting guards, like Reggie Bullock, to be picked higher in the NBA Draft than you might expect. Oh, Danny Green just hit another 3 again.