Danny Green meets all three of the Cavaliers’ greatest needs

Danny Green meets the Cavaliers’ need for shooting

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a fairly accurate 3-point shooting team, hitting 36.4 percent of their 3-pointers, but rank just 23rd in attempts (a slightly better 17th in 3-point attempt rate). Their two backcourt stars are some of the best shooters in the NBA, but they don’t have an absolute gunner off the bench now that Kevin Love isn’t in the rotation.

Danny Green is the quintessential shooting wing to bring in off the bench. He is a career 39.9 percent shooter from 3-point range, and 65.2 percent of his shots have been 3-pointers. In the playoffs that rises to 69 percent of his shots. He has a smooth, easy shot that he can fire off of motion, allowing the Cavs to run him off of screens and force the defense to focus on him while players like Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are running an action on the opposite side.

Green’s shot doesn’t go away in the playoffs, either; his attempts go up and his accuracy stays the same, including 39.8 percent in his last two postseasons with Philadelphia. Stephen Curry has since passed him, but Green set the record for most 3-pointers in an NBA Finals series a decade ago with 27.

Cedi Osman can get attempts up but he runs hot-and-cold in an extreme way, and players like Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro are improving shooters but largely rely on open shots created by others. Green’s movement and speed of shooting allow him to get open nearly anywhere, making him such a dangerous weapon from outside.