The matchup of the game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves will be between starting shooting guards Danny Green and Ricky Rubio.
In two games, Green has shot 60% (3-5) from the corner 3-point shot and 60% (3-5) from the wing 3-point shot against the Timberwolves with Rubio on the court. Green has made that shot his specialty this season as he's shooting 44% overall for the season from beyond the arc. This shooting opens up the floor for the other Spurs and big men to create on the inside and will play a major role tonight. With Green on the court, Ricky Rubio has been the opposite of his counterpart. Rubio has only shot 9% (1-11) with Green on the court, which may play a factor again today since Green is a taller quick footed defender against the flashy pass first combo guard.
What Green must do on offense:
With Green being two inches taller than Rubio, he should have no trouble getting a shot up when elevated against the small guard. If the Wolves decide to play a man on man strategy, that may not give Green much room to catch the ball and shoot cleanly, so he'll have to keep in motion and look to get open. Danny Green will also have the luxury of cutting to the rim with his teammates being 3-point shooters and that'll be a hard situation for Rubio since he has to depend on help defense in the paint. Green should have no problem offensively this game from his counterpart.
What Green must do on defense:
He has to make Rubio shoot and keep close to him on drives. With his height advantage, Rubio won't have easy layups or passes around his defender. Rubio is shooting 46% from the restricted area, but after that the drop-off is a major one. He's only shooting 17% (7-40) from 3-point land and 34% (37-109) from mid range. The surprising statistic on his shooting may be 14% (3-22) in the painted area that's not restricted under the basket. Green's size and the San Antonio defensive help of Tiago Splitter should make that more difficult for Rubio. If Rubio is forced to shoot and win the game for the Minnesota Timberwolves from mid-range and beyond, San Antonio and Danny Green will definitely have the advantage this game.
