NBA Finals 2019: Toronto Raptors' Danny Green not 'second-guessing' himself despite shooting slump

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Toronto Raptors shooting guard Danny Green has been below his best in the playoffs, struggling with his shot, especially from the 3-point line.

After averaging a career-high 45.5 percent from deep in the regular season, Green hasn't been able to translate that in the postseason, shooting 31.4 percent through 18 games, but the 10-year veteran isn't letting his struggles get to him.

"Just keep shooting," Green said via ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "Don't think about it. And it's hard not to think about it because everybody in the world's telling you don't think about it, [and] everybody you come across [is telling you] keep shooting it.

"People text me to 'don't think about it.' I know that.....I'm not second-guessing myself."

Green was particularly ineffective against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, connecting on just 4-of-23 attempts (17.4 percent) and will look to bounce back in what is likely to be a 3-point heavy battle with the Golden State Warriors. 

With Kawhi Leonard and Patrick McCaw the only other Raptors to have won an NBA championship, Green's experience will be a huge factor against Golden State and his track record in the Finals speaks for itself.

In 12 Finals games, Green has shot 52 percent from 3-point range, setting the then NBA record for 3-pointers made in a Finals series with 27 in 2013 against the Miami Heat. Steph Curry now holds the record with 32 in 2016. 

With the Bucks series in the rearview, Green's teammate Kyle Lowry is confident the sharp-shooter will find his rhythm against the defending champs.

"I think it's a new series for Danny," Lowry said. "I think that series happened a certain way. It's over with now. I don't think that even matters. I don't think anything that happened the last series matters, besides us finding ways to win games. That's what we take from that series. Danny will be fine.

"Game 1, he'll be ready to go."

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Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor for The Sporting News.