In the fourth and final segment of the "Better Know a Draft Pick" series, I'll look at the lone second-round selection of an Erie BayHawks affiliate, Danny Green, who was chosen 46th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Good
Coming out of North Carolina fresh off a national championship, Green is a winner. Green is a natural fit to replace Sasha Pavlovic, who was sent to Sacramento in the trade for Shaquille O'Neal. He's best as a spot-up shooter, which makes him a perfect piece to play alongside players who command a double-team a la Shaq and LeBron. Green hit on 41.8 percent of his 3-point attempts during his senior season at North Carolina. He's also a solid defender.
The Bad
Green isn't particularly versatile. He's not going to beat a lot of people off the dribble or score in the paint, but you don't expect to draft an all-star in the second round. Green was able to be a complimentary piece in college and will be asked to do the same in college.
The Unknown
The biggest question with Green is, how much better can he get? He worked and improved his game in each of his four years as a Tar Heel. As he stands now, Green is likely a low-rotation player, maybe the 8th or 9th man. If he can continue to get better, is he a potential starter on a playoff team? The key would be developing more of an all-around offensive game to go with his spot-up shooting.
The chances he'll see playing time for the Erie BayHawks
20 percent. Depending on what the Cavs do with Wally Szczerbiak and the remaining holes on their roster, it's possible that Green could be expected to step in and play right away. At 22, he is a pretty mature ballplayer. However, it's possible that he may also get the Darnell Jackson treatment from a year ago and see a few games in a BayHawks uniform to give him some extra development work.
Final Thoughts
I was surprised that the Cavs didn't take a proven college player with their first-round selection, so it was no surprise when they bounced back and took a player like Danny Green with their second pick. Along with Jackson, they now have a player from each of the past two NCAA champions in house, and it never hurts to bring in players with a winning pedigree, especially when you're a franchise trying to get over the hump to win a championship. Green could very well see himself in some crucial situations later in the season much like Daniel "Boobie" Gibson did during his rookie season with the Cavs.
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