Jeff Green

Jeff Green
SF/PF - 6’9, 235lbs - 31 years old - 1 year of experience

Underpaid for the first time in….well, ever, Green finally seems to be free of the perception that he is a lot more capable than he is. After a career of high billing, big salaries and repeatedly being traded for first-round draft picks – someone somewhere has done some top agenting for their client – Green took the minimum to join a competitor and make a run at the NBA Finals.

Tyronn Lue played Green a lot in various line-ups, from big three to tiny five, knowing that there would usually be something come of it. In response, Green put up his usual package of skills, strengths and errors.

Asked to spot up, Green will shoot streakily; asked to cut to the basket and drive close-outs, he will occasionally look excellent. Asked to handle in the half-court from a standing start, he will probably turn it over; asked to handle in transition, and he will also occasionally look excellent. Ask him to post smaller guys and he can drop in a short hook; ask him to post bigger guys and you’re asking the wrong guy. Ask him to perform in big moments, and he probably won’t; ask him to look good when the outcome is decided, and he probably will. Etc etc etc.

All in all, relative to expectations, Green did pretty well. And if nothing else, that’s the first time we’ve been able to say that about his stint somewhere.

Player Plan: Expiring minimum salary contract. Filled his role quite well, but could probably get more than this elsewhere, and his earning years are running out, so he should probably take it where he can get it. That is not likely to be here.

Jeff Green
SF/PF, 6’9, 235lbs, 30 years old, 9 years of experience

Another year, another big contract, another season of “I can’t quite figure out what he does well and the stats can’t find it either so maybe he isn’t especially good really” play. Green’s 39.4% field goal percentage is the lowest of his career, the .505% true shooting percentage his lowest since his rookie campaign, his 7.6% rebounding percentage as forgettable as ever, and his 27.5% three-point shooting a massive disappointment. It would be fair to say that perhaps, on a team with a better overall offensive unit, he would have benefitted as much as anyone. But this is not especially anomalous from Green. He never shines offensively in a decade of being allowed to try, he never rebounds, he always stops the ball more than a player of his marginal talent should, and he never stands out defensively, not keeping in front nor defending the rim. This should be the last of the big contracts.

Player Plan: Expiring $15 million contract. Ignore the name, look at the stats, look at the metrics, and make me an argument as to why a player who does only that - who routinely does only that - merits more than the minimum. Should join the Cavaliers for that, but the Magic have no use for him and should let him walk.

Oklahoma City shone this week, shoring up their weakest position and picking up a quality backup guard in the process, all for spare parts. D.J. White (a power forward who was never going to crack the rotation), Jeff Green (a talented sixth man type caught on entirely the wrong team), Nenad Krstic (who was a good candidate to leave this summer anyway) and Mo Peterson (who was definitely going to leave this summer anyway), combined with a future protected first round pick from the Clippers, saw them land two starting calibre centres in Kenny Perkins and Nazr Mohammed who should greatly improve their defense, along with Nathan Robinson, who won't.