Danny Green Deserves 2013 NBA Finals MVP Award if Spurs Beat Heat

Danny Green has been the brightest and most unexpected star of the 2013 NBA Finals, helping the San Antonio Spurs gain a 3-2 lead on the Miami Heat.

His three-point bombardment has—deservedly—been garnering much of the attention, as the Spurs swingman shot himself into the record books in Game 5, hitting 7-of-9 from beyond the arc.

With that performance, Green is now at 25-of-38 from deep in the series. He surpassed Ray Allen’s (who is now a role player for the Heat) record of 22 total treys made in the 2008 NBA Finals with a long-range dagger in the quarter.

There’s no question that his ability to extend the defense and absolutely punish the Heat for sagging off of him has been instrumental in the finals. If it weren’t for Green’s marksmanship, Miami may have already been parading down Biscayne Boulevard with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in tow.

This is a tale of redemption for Green, who spent time on two different D-League teams and was cut from both the Cleveland Cavaliers—as a former teammate of LeBron James—and the San Antonio Spurs.

Those humbling experiences prompted the UNC product to polish his long-range shooting and make a commitment to defense, the two most important facets of the game for a modern 2-guard in the NBA.

However, Green certainly isn’t gloating about the accomplishments and is deflecting most of the credit to his teammates. As per Newsday.com, the 25-year-old had this to say about his incredible series:

"

Lucky enough, blessed enough to have the opportunity to be on the stage. My teammates have done a great job of finding me and getting me open, and it seems everything is going right for me. I'm feeling truly blessed right now. There's got to be a higher power.

"

Due to the selfless system coach Gregg Popovich has installed, Green isn’t exactly lying. He’s been a beneficiary of innumerous screens, cuts and extra passes designed to confuse the Heat defense and free him up for an open look.

What has separated him from the average marksman is the consistency in which he is hitting his target. At this point, it is honestly more shocking to see Green miss one than make one from range.

Considering the very best three-point shooters hover around 50 percent for a season, Green’s 65.7 percent stretch over these past five games is absolutely astonishing.

If he’s able to keep this ridiculous streak going and help the Spurs win in South Beach to claim the fifth championship in franchise history, the young swingman could join teammates Tim Duncan and Tony Parker as an NBA Finals MVP award winner.