When Danny Green Doesn’t Shoot; Popovich Is Not Happy

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green (4) shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) during the first half at the AT

Dan McCarney over at Spurs Nation wrote an article on Danny Green having a ‘lime’ green light, that is in fact how the San Antonio Spurs head coach describes the green light that Green has in games.  The article goes on where Popvich describes it as more of a lime green.

“When he shoots it,” Popovich said, “I think it’s going in. If he’s not shooting the ball, I’m not happy.”

Green has turned out to become a prodigious 3-point shooter and ranks in the top ten in the league this year hitting over 40% from beyond the arc.  Through Tuesday night game, he has made 146 on the season, ranking him 5th in the league.

He has been in his career one of them shooters that is either on his game or not.  But, now he has been shooting the ball extremely well over a long period of time that he doesn’t worry about his shooting percentage and as he told McCarney, everyone goes through stretches.

“Everybody goes through stretches shooting-wise,” he said. “You’re going to have slumps. You can’t stay hot forever. We don’t live in Pleasantville where all your shots go in. For me, I just think I’m more comfortable in the system. My confidence is a little higher.”

One may remember last season’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder where Green missed 19-of-23 shots against the teams last game in the playoffs.  After that point, he worked with player development coach Chad Forcier.  His role in the loss haunted Green for the rest of the offseason and he wanted to be sure that his work in the offseason would pay off and have him come back with a good sense of urgency and a better shooter.

“If I’m going to have a slump, have it now before it really matters. We’d all agree I didn’t play my best basketball in that last series. That’s something on everyone’s minds, mine as well. I’d like to be more consistent and be a factor and do better than I did last year.”