What position of need should the Rockets target with MLE?

Did JaMychal Green price himself out of the Clippers’ range with strong season?



By Jovan Buha May 17, 2019 6
With the Clippers’ season in the rearview mirror, and the doldrums of the offseason upon the 26 teams eliminated from the postseason, it’s time to review and reflect on each player’s 2018-19 campaign. Here is our complete list of report cards to date.

In our seventh evaluation, The Athletic breaks down JaMychal Green’s 3-and-D versatility.

JaMychal Green
Position: Power forward/Center

Age: 28

Experience: Five seasons

Contract status: Unrestricted free agent

Regular season stats (as a Clipper): 19.6 minutes, 8.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 48.2-41.3-81.0 shooting splits

Playoff stats: 23.5 minutes, 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 53.5-52.2-80.0 shooting splits

Note: This analysis is of Green’s season as a Clipper and not as a Grizzly.

What went right
The bread and butter of the Clippers’ second-unit offense this season was the Lou Williams-Montrezl Harrell pick-and-roll.

To properly space the floor around the action, the Clippers needed shooting off their bench. Mike Scott, their primary spot-up bench shooter alongside Patrick Beverley, shot just 34.9 percent from deep until mid-January, a figure below league average (he shot 55.6 percent on 3s over his final 10 games as a Clipper).

The Clippers needed an upgrade.

It came at the trade deadline in the form of JaMychal Green, who, along with Garrett Temple, arrived in Los Angeles from Memphis in a deal for Avery Bradley.

Green, a developing shooter, connected on 41.3 percent of his 3-pointers in Los Angeles, a career-best mark. His shooting helped Williams and Harrell’s screen-and-roll attack become even more dangerous, which was needed after the loss of Tobias Harris.

“Coming in, I had to show that I could shoot,” Green told The Athletic in March. “Once they saw I could shoot the ball, Doc told me to play free. If I have a good look, take it.”

Green was a seamless fit into the Clippers’ gritty, blue-collar culture. He, Beverley and Harrell are like-minded in their mentality, intensity and approach to the game. He revels in doing the dirty work. He’s a slightly better defensive rebounder than Harrell, and a much better rebounder and defender than Scott. Green quickly became the most important non-Harrell and non-Williams bench player. The trio of Williams, Harrell and Green had a +1.3 net rating in 341 minutes.

In the playoffs, the first real taste of the postseason for much of the roster, Green stepped up as arguably the team’s third- or fourth-best player, even outplaying Harrell for stretches. He played so well that Rivers inserted him into the starting lineup for Ivica Zubac, who struggled on both ends. Rivers had talked about playing Green at the 5 more during the postseason, long before the Warriors matchup, and here was his chance.

Green made the most of the opportunity, providing valuable minutes spacing the floor for the starters, knocking down 3s when Golden State played off of him, defending Kevin Durant as well as reasonably possible and protecting the glass. He was a key contributor in the Clippers’ Game 2 and Game 5 victories.

The 2021 Miami pick and Landry Shamet are the crown jewels of the Clippers’ trade deadline, but Green was an overlooked contributor who made a significant difference.

What could be better
There isn’t much to nitpick or criticize with Green. His bench role was simple: space the floor, shoot when open, screen and roll/pop, defend, rebound and play hard. On most nights, he did those things. The only unknowable variable was if he made shots or not.

That being said, Green was a decent minus in both offensive real plus-minus (-1.86) and defensive real plus-minus (-1.64), though that also factors in his time with Memphis. Most of his advanced metrics paint him as an average to slightly below-average player, despite his value and impact on the Clippers.

Green probably could have traded in some of his above-the-break 3s — where he shot just 36.1 percent, compared with 61.1 percent in the corners — for better looks for himself or teammates. This was the first time Green had the full green light to fire away from deep, and it felt like he was a kid in the candy store. There were possessions where rolling might have made more sense than popping. He’d also try to do too much sometimes, like forcing a drive through a crowded lane that would end in an erratic turnover.

Green’s lack of size, similar to Harrell, manifested in certain matchups, whether from him fouling bigger players, giving up offensive rebounds or struggling to finish in the paint. Even though he has long arms and the versatility to play center, Green won’t be confused for a rim protector — his block percentage was lower than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Beverley. He’s actually far more comfortable playing on the perimeter against big wings, which showed in the Golden State series. He fouled out three times with the Clippers, including twice in the postseason (in both wins, ironically).

One stat that summed up his season
+15.6.

That was the offensive rating differential of when Green was on the court (117.4) minus when he was on the bench (a team-worst 101.8) during the playoffs.

The decision to start Green over Zubac was arguably Rivers’ best in-series adjustment, outside of putting Shamet on Stephen Curry. Green’s presence opened up the floor for the Clippers’ starting unit, particularly Danilo Gallinari and Gilgeous-Alexander. After replacing Zubac with Green in the starting lineup, the Clippers’ offensive rating improved to 123.0. Green led L.A.’s rotation players with a +7.0 net rating the rest of the series.

Rivers’ decision dramatically swung the series. The Clippers nearly won Game 4, won Game 5 and hung around in Game 6 until the second half. It almost felt as if they might have been able to force a Game 7 had they switched up their lineups earlier. Green’s shooting, rebounding and defensive switchability were crucial components of the Clippers’ playoff success.

One performance that summed up his season
Any of Green’s playoff performances against Golden State could apply here. He was solid throughout the series. But one, in particular, stands out more than the others — and probably not the one most would think.

In Game 4, with the Clippers headed toward an insurmountable 3-1 series deficit, Rivers started Green over Zubac. The Clippers adjusted their defensive matchups, putting Green on Durant, and Beverley on Draymond Green, who he played off of to help against Durant and Warrior penetration.

Green defended Durant on 25 possessions in the game, holding him to 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. It was the fewest points Durant would score the rest of the series, as he went supernova in Games 5 and 6.

Green didn’t have a good offensive game, scoring 6 points on just two shots, and only played 21 minutes. But his aggressive defense, almost replicating Beverley’s style of getting into Durant’s legs, but doing so at 6-foot-9, set the tone for the rest of the series.

It also provided a harbinger of the Clippers’ decisive Game 5 victory at Oracle Arena.

 

One tweet that summed up his season




What to watch for this offseason

Green is an unrestricted free agent and should draw plenty of interest from other teams this offseason. Three-and-D big men have become more normalized, but every good team needs at least one, and Green can contribute as one of the league’s better bench bigs.


The Clippers will likely try to retain Green this summer once they address the potential free-agent superstars, plus Beverley and Zubac. After his improved shooting and impressive postseason performance, however, Green might have priced himself out of the Clippers’ range if they land a star.


He can probably make between $7-$10 million annually, depending on the length of the deal. Think somewhere in the range of two years, $20 million to three years, $24 million.


As for developments in his game, the next steps for Green, besides continuing to hone his 3-point shot and improving above the break, are working on his dribble-drive game, both navigating traffic and finding open cutters/shooters.


Final grade: B+

Though the Clippers were loaded with depth, the second half of their rotation wasn’t very consistent, or often in Rivers’ good graces. Luc Mbah a Moute’s season-ending injury hurt more than one would think, as did Milos Teodosic never finding his way into the rotation.


The Clippers needed a piece like Green. He didn’t score or earn the attention that Harrell or Williams did off the bench, but his shooting and perimeter defense sometimes made him a cleaner fit alongside the starters and closing lineups. He matched the locker room’s ethos, adding another hard-nosed player who isn’t afraid of anything or anyone.


Green should be prioritized in free agency, if possible. There are several factors that will determine Green’s future in Los Angeles, but chief among them will be if a rival suitor truly believes his 3-point shooting with the Clippers wasn’t a fluke. Green had never shot that well, or that frequently, in his career. We’ve seen plenty of players show out in a contract year only to regress once they get paid.


In an ideal world, the Clippers land a star, re-sign Beverley and Green, and retain those two around the Williams-Harrell pick-and-roll.

https://theathletic.com/982187/2019...rit-was-an-ideal-fit-with-the-clippers-bench/​

 

Biggest NBA free-agency, draft and trade decisions for all 30 teams

Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports
4:08 AM PT

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  Bobby MarksESPN

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The NBA offseason has started for all but three teams, and we have a much clearer picture of the big questions facing each franchise.

Which decisions on key players, trades and new contracts will matter most?

Let's run through all 30 teams with breakdowns on big-picture priorities, draft assets, potential moves, cap-space possibilities, team needs, likely free agents and depth charts.


Full offseason guide to come.

Houston Rockets

Offseason focus

• Bargain shopping with the bench: minimum and $5.7 million tax midlevel
  
  
• Can this team avoid the luxury tax and stay competitive?
  
  
• The expiring contract of Eric Gordon
  

Draft assets

• This season: None
  
  
• Cash: $5.1 million (to receive) | $565,000 (to send)
  

Cap-space breakdown

• With $115 million in committed salary to five players, Houston once again will be restricted in the offseason.
  
  
• Because the Rockets are pressed against the luxury tax, the choice will come down to utilizing Bird rights on a player such as Iman Shumpert or using a combination of the minimum and $5.7 million exception for the open roster spots.
  
  
• Taking a conservative approach in free agency and just using the minimum exception leaves Houston right at the $132 million tax threshold.
  
  
• The Rockets have nine trade exceptions: $3.6M, $3.2M, $2.6M, $1.6M, $1.5M, $1.5M, $1.5M, $1.5M and $955,000.
  

Austin Rivers | non-Bird

• Gerald Green | early Bird

• Nene | early Bird (player option)

• Kenneth Faried | non-Bird

• Iman Shumpert | Bird

• Vincent Edwards | restricted non-Bird

• Danuel House Jr. | restricted non-Bird

• Trevon Duval | restricted non-Bird

Full offseason guide

http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...agency-draft-trade-decisions-all-30-teams#hou

 

Use the MLE on winners

 

How about any position that maintains their three pt shooting prowess into the playoffs.

 

Best player available. Position don't matter.

 

Too early to say, obviously depends on what will eventually happen before free agency starts.

Regardless, i see basically everyone agrees on JaMaychal being a great addition for us, but like i said in another thread i just don't see West letting him go, i think he'll pay him and offer him a starting spot, plus the chance of staying in L.A...not getting my hopes up.

 

No surprise that Ex Memphis players are sought after because of their D.

 

Terrence Jones is beasting in the PBA

https://www.pba.ph/news/jones-debuts-with-41-points-as-tnt-trounces-nlex

 

Refresh my memory, was Green the main part of the deadline deal we apparently got hosed on at the 11th hour?

 

Stretch 4/5 and/or a replacement for Rivers/Ego if we lose them.

Rivers
Mario Hezonja*
Tyus Jones
Jamychal green
Anthony Randolph
Jarrod Uthoff (probably minimum)

 

The key for me this summer is acquiring a C who can play decent defense and hit 3's. The Bucks can't offer Lopez more than the MLE, so I would keep an eye on that. If we can shed a bit of salary, we could have access to the non-taxpayer MLE starting around $9m/season. Offer it to Lopez on a 3 year contract with the last year partially guaranteed.

Now you trade Clint and Nene to the Hawks for Bazemore's expiring, then you trade Bazemore and 2 well protected first rounders to the Sixers for Butler - of course assuming Butler miraculously insists on joining the Rockets or walking for nothing.

That's my dream scenario. Reality is likely to disappoint lol.

 

Need a backup C to replace Nene and cover when Capela doesn't show up.

 

DJ for the MLE would be good. Maybe a miracle happens and he signs for the Min. That would be great. This would give us the flexibility to freely move Capela to improve other areas.

 

Luxury tax avoidance.