http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/16/green_talent_hasnt_matured/ Green talent hasn't matured Latest move shows ability isn't enough By Peter May Globe Staff / March 16, 2008 It kind of got lost in the Saturday night news cycles. But eight days ago, the Houston Rockets waived Gerald Green. No one has stepped up since to sign the former first-round pick to so much as a 10-day contract. more stories like this Green had called his move from Minnesota to Houston at the trade deadline "a dream come true" because he was back in his hometown, hopefully to showcase his considerable athletic prowess before the home folks. But Green was able to make only one four-minute cameo for the Rockets before he got his walking papers. Basically, the Rockets needed a bigger body until impressive rookie Carl Landry was able to return from injury (which he may do today), so they signed Mike Harris. "Needed extra big," general manager Daryl Morey succinctly stated via e-mail. Asked if there were any exchanges regarding possible future employment of Green, Morey said, "Just an agreement that we will look at him very closely for our roster next year." No one in the NBA has a better read on Green than Doc Rivers, who coached him for his first two seasons. Rivers said he felt a little bit sad to hear of Green's release, but it also didn't surprise him. Houston had come to the same conclusion that both Minnesota and Boston had: Just because the kid can jump out of the gym and blow out a cupcake candle before dunking does not mean he can play in the NBA. "I think he has a chance to be a very good player in our league, but he has to mature," Rivers said. "Before you can take the next step, you have to understand you need the work and you need to do the work. Gerald does it, just not as consistently as coaches would like him to do. "And as mean as this [release] is, it may end up being the best thing for him. It may let him know that no matter how much raw ability you have, if you don't polish it, it's never going to shine. In his case, that is where he's at." The off-the-charts athleticism defined Green to the point where fans would rise in their seats if he drove to the basket. Some of the dunks were also off the charts, but as the crowd went wild, it would rarely notice that Green was messing up at the other end. Or that on the next possession, he'd have no clue what the Celtics were running. And he's known now as an entertaining dunker, little more than a human pogo stick who, it's safe to say, probably would have benefited from a year or two in college. In retrospect, Rivers said he wished Green had not participated in the Slam Dunk championship in Las Vegas last year because he felt it sent the wrong message I was not a big fan of him going, one of the few," Rivers said. "But I was outvoted. We did need something good about the Celtics at that point. But overall, I don't know if it was that good for the kid. more stories like this "What Gerald did was phenomenal and, at the end of the day, I know that stuff is important to him. But it should be about the game and the winning. It's like we're telling him that the show is important, not the competition. And at the end of the day, it's a competition. "He is talented. He has potential. But he's not ready to play in the NBA. And it's not just him. There are a lot of guys like him. In my first year, I was killed for not playing Marcus Banks and, now, four years later, he's still not playing. But I also believe Marcus can play. But, like Gerald, he has to understand there's work to do and he has to commit to it." So what becomes of Green? His agent, former NBA player Byron Irvin, did not return a message left on his cellphone. Morey seemed to indicate the Rockets might take another look, but who really knows? Wouldn't you think some team would take a flyer on the kid before the end of the season? Clearly, the Timberwolves were disenchanted with Green because they needed one month to decide not to extend him for a fourth year, making him an unrestricted free agent. Wolves coach Randy Wittman and Rivers, backcourt mates with the Hawks in the 1980s, talked about Green more than once. All Rivers would say was, "He frustrated Randy quite a bit. The difference between Randy and me was that Randy didn't feel the need to play him. We played him anyway." Danny Ainge, the man who drafted Green in 2005, said he hopes Green learns from this latest move and commits himself to being a serious player. "Maybe this is something that could catapult Gerald into a better frame of mind and make him more desperate to recognize how fragile his career can be," Ainge said. "I'm hoping that this kind of adversity will push him to be the player he's capable of being. "I think it's there. But is he willing? Is he capable of going to the next level? Over the next year, I guess we'll find out."
wow...pretty blunt article about green. it's pretty obvious why we waived him now even though morey has said nothing.
This is exactly why I was laughing the entire time when the whole board was going bonkers about how we got Gerald Green. And even more when people were so shocked that we cut him to sign Mike Harris. Big whoop. He sucks. That trade was a salary dump and nothing more. Just because a guy's got crazy size and athleticism doesn't mean he can play.
Yeah...I guess the kid just doesn't bring it. I had a feeling it was something more that no one in the league wanted to touch(Like Darius Miles' alcoholism, etc...), because there have been a lot worse players than Green who have stayed on NBA rosters because of their potential.
Gerald Green's Top 10 Career Dunks <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_1Th0ASIr1Q&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_1Th0ASIr1Q&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I hope the kid gets another chance. Players like Chris Kaman and Travis Outlaw have developed into good NBA players, despite a reputation of being "slow". They benefited from coaching staffs who gave them extra attention to nurture their game. By most accounts Green seems to have a good attitude and will listen to coaching. So here's hoping he hooks up with a team willing to make a project of him, and he makes the most of it.
Yes, but he has the athleticism, and it could only help the young man to be around professional players like the Rockets have..... I hope they re-sign him and let him learn from these guys. DD
I guess everyone just happened to overlook these parts of the article. Basically says what fans who have supported Green said about him. Not to mention Morey confirming that we needed a big body than Green. He has all the right tools to be a good NBA player. And notice how there is nothing about the "head case, chemistry killer" talk like some fans say.
2008 - 2009 Yao, (Deke or another Center) Scola, Landry, Hayes Battier, Harris, Novak McGrady, Head Alston, Brooks, ( Jackson or Francis or another 1/2) That is 13 players listed above. The above is tenative at the moment and subject to possible trade(s) in the offseason. There is likely to be a 2008 First round pick also on the roster. Too early to tel if it will be a Center to replace Deke or a 2/3 or a 1/2. To work G Green into the above scenario, at least one and possibly two of Novak, Head and Harris will need to be moved elsewhere. With the Rockets having arrived as a viable team, Green would have to really impress in Summer League for the Rockets to move somebody to make room for Green in Fall 2008. McGrady is pulling heavy minutes and releasing G Green showed that the Rockets organization had no confidence in him being able to stay and produce this season. If the Rockets draft a 2/3 or a 1/2 in the upcoming Draft, it is very doubtful that the Green left a favorable impression with the Rockets organization this Spring. Even thought some (many?) Rockets fans will find this distasteful, the best thing for G Green to do is to play (regular minutes) somewhere besides the NBA for a while. If he is able to produce and raise his game (even if it is in faraway China), he will be back in the NBA.
I still think Green has a lot to show, he's very gifted but isn't mature. He's 22 and promising but probably the biggest mistake of his carrer is jumping from hs to NBA.
The Rockets didn't trade for Green intending to give him big minutes. Morey said he brought him here to get a close look at him to see if he's good enough to sign next season. Also said he wasn't going to play much. Even Green himself said he know he wasn't brought here to play big minutes but to work on his game and listen to what the coaches tell him.
He did earn a few million, but if he can't get back to the NBA or doesn't work on his game, he would have been better off going to college. DD
I think he'll come back to us in the summer (if no one else signs him). Then he'll get some run with the summer team and we'll see how it goes. We gave up a 2nd rounder for him, which means a little something. Morey knows how good Green can be (at least offensively) from what he was in Boston. His offense is pretty good, though I don't know how well he can run plays. He has a good jumper, can shoot the three, and we know that he can dunk. It's all about upping his defense. If he plays at least average D then we should take a shot. But I do agree it's a numbers game. Where do we get the room on the roster and how much would we have to pay him? Maybe trade Head and our first rounder to move up in the first round? That gives us a roster spot and a better pick.
I already understood the above. It is other people that don't/didn't understand. My focus is on the future and the difficulty (hurdles) that he faces in making the Opening Day (Rockets) roster for 2008 - 2009. Based on his tenures at Boston, Minnesota and Houston and the fact that the Rockets roster is fairly established; he is facing some long odds of accomplishing it. Can he do it? Yes, but he will have to work extremely hard to do it.
"You will be JVG'd by us!" Fits the description of typical "one ear out the other" slacker kid who just wont grasp what he's taught. People who have kids, teach kids or manage young people at work know the type.
I don't feel bad for him. He's made a nice chunk of change off his athleticism, and maybe he can make more if he works at his game.
Morey is saying there is no space for him...but if Green works really hard (note to Green call up John Lucas Sr) and is a monster in the Summer League there will be a spot for him. Green you have the size and skills. Its ALL on YOU.
If we had the roster space, I'd sign him to the low-level exemption for two years. DNP him the entire time and let him develop, possibly bringing him out against crappy teams. That is of course only if we don't give a two year low-level exemption contract to Mike Harris.
