ESPN Ranks Jeff Green #172 Overall

[tombattor]

Not really. ESPN has him at the right spot. He just had surgery and before that he played horrible. We don't even know if he will be able to play like his old self. Antawn Jamison average 17/6 last season which is pretty damn good.

As a power forward, Jamison got his 17ppg on 40% shooting from the field (48TS% - worse than Rondo!), rebounding at a pathetic rate, and playing some of the worst defense the league has seen.

I'm no Jeff Green fan - I've had more than my fair share of debates with chronic overraters like HB - but he's still a useful player. Unless his heart surgery ruined his game, he's got to be better than the horror show that was Jamison last year.

I do find it highly entertaining that Jeff Green thinks this is a fair rank for him after a year out, even as he pulls down 4/$36! He's surrounded by guys making the minimum and slightly above.

But then where would you rank him? Doesn't he belong among the 6th men? League-wide, I think he's a fringe starter/6th man or even 7th man on a team like OKC with a stud 6th man right now. I'm pretty sure there are other players ranked even lower, who will explode this year and make people look foolish for the ranking, but until we actually see that, you can't rank them high, IMO.

Also, I know you're not going the "JEFF GREEN IS #1. MY FAVORITE PLAYER. I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS." route like some brilliant minds on this board, but I feel like you're basing your opinion on what we think he CAN be. Not necessarily what he's shown us. He sat out a year and last he played for us, he wasn't all that great. I know he played a little better in OKC, but there have been plenty of players who played better earlier in their careers and never really improved much, if at all. I think he's ranked appropriately as a fringe starter/1st or 2nd guy off the bench.

[Slartibartfast]

Not really. ESPN has him at the right spot. He just had surgery and before that he played horrible. We don't even know if he will be able to play like his old self. Antawn Jamison average 17/6 last season which is pretty damn good.

As a power forward, Jamison got his 17ppg on 40% shooting from the field (48TS% - worse than Rondo!), rebounding at a pathetic rate, and playing some of the worst defense the league has seen.

I'm no Jeff Green fan - I've had more than my fair share of debates with chronic overraters like HB - but he's still a useful player. Unless his heart surgery ruined his game, he's got to be better than the horror show that was Jamison last year.

I do find it highly entertaining that Jeff Green thinks this is a fair rank for him after a year out, even as he pulls down 4/$36! He's surrounded by guys making the minimum and slightly above.

But then where would you rank him? Doesn't he belong among the 6th men? League-wide, I think he's a fringe starter/6th man or even 7th man on a team like OKC with a stud 6th man right now. I'm pretty sure there are other players ranked even lower, who will explode this year and make people look foolish for the ranking, but until we actually see that, you can't rank them high, IMO.

Also, I know you're not going the "JEFF GREEN IS #1. MY FAVORITE PLAYER. I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS." route like some brilliant minds on this board, but I feel like you're basing your opinion on what we think he CAN be. Not necessarily what he's shown us. He sat out a year and last he played for us, he wasn't all that great. I know he played a little better in OKC, but there have been plenty of players who played better earlier in their careers and never really improved much, if at all. I think he's ranked appropriately as a fringe starter/1st or 2nd guy off the bench.

Here's how I look at it: to slip past 150 means you aren't in the top 30 for your position. I'd say that's an overly harsh reading on Green.

Here are the SFs I'd rank over him:

LBJ, Durant, Melo, Pierce, Deng, Iggy, Granger, Marion, Gay, Wallace, Prince, Kirilenko, Gallo and Batum. You could make a case for Wilson Chandler, Butler, Artest, Battier, Marv Williams, Hill, Thad Young (more of a pf), Harrington (ditto), Hedo and Ariza over him, and then maybe some of the up and coming young guys (Turner, MKG, Barnes), but even then you're not bumping him out of the top 30.

So if he's ranked somewhere between 15-25 as a small forward (average to below-average starter) then he's gotta be somewhere in between 75 and and 125 in the overall rankings. I'd put him in the early 110's, personally.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Some people have been posting that Green is fast.

I think of Green as a 3-4 tweener. I did think Green was fast. Maybe I am wrong.

I have not seen much of Green because I only watch Celtics during playoffs due to moving away from Boston when Gatling was a Rookie.

It would be nice if Green was physical and gritty. It would be nice if Green had low post moves like Cedric Maxwell. In college I thought Green had grit and decisiveness but since then in the little bit I have seen him he has looked a bit lost and soft.

I like that the Celtics can go big at small forward with Green, or smart skilled and gritty with Pierce or quick but undersized with Lee.

Is green fast? It would be nice if he was fast, but isn't he a little bit slower than the average NBA starting small forward?

[Bluewhale]

I think Jeff Green's speed is average for NBA SF, he is not FAST to blow other SF, but he is average.

The problem of Jeff Green as a SF is his ball handling skill and shooting ability.

So far I envision Jeff Green as a richman's Eric-Walliams type SF. You should use Jeff Green to post up at elbow area, rather than asking him to dribble then shoot over his defender in the perimeter.

By the way, Eric Williams is a terrific post player before his knee blowup, his sweet area is similar to Jeff Green as I know.

[tombattor]

Here's how I look at it: to slip past 150 means you aren't in the top 30 for your position. I'd say that's an overly harsh reading on Green.

Here are the SFs I'd rank over him:

LBJ, Durant, Melo, Pierce, Deng, Iggy, Granger, Marion, Gay, Wallace, Prince, Kirilenko, Gallo and Batum. You could make a case for Wilson Chandler, Butler, Artest, Battier, Marv Williams, Hill, Thad Young (more of a pf), Harrington (ditto), Hedo and Ariza over him, and then maybe some of the up and coming young guys (Turner, MKG, Barnes), but even then you're not bumping him out of the top 30.

So if he's ranked somewhere between 15-25 as a small forward (average to below-average starter) then he's gotta be somewhere in between 75 and and 125 in the overall rankings. I'd put him in the early 110's, personally.

Ok. I see your logic there. Perhaps not all positions are as evenly distributed skill-wise? But considering that you're comparing him to SFs, which should be one of the most abundant positions in the league, your assessment does make some sense. However, the fact that he did miss a year and wasn't that impressive when he last played in the NBA, probably drops him in the ranks too.

[GuyClinch]

Yeah ESPN is being to harsh on Green. Not that they really are concerned with this. If we generally believe the starters are better then the bench guys - Green is better then quite a few starters. So that puts him much higher on the list..

He has good size/strength - he can shoot some from the outside - and is pretty decent all around. This puts him well above your average stiff center starter in real world performance. I didn't really get into it on the best player thread - but having a versatile do it all player on your team - allows your team to be better then the individual stats indicate.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

91 Thaddeus Young, 92 Shawn Marion, 93 Wilson Chandler, 95 Kawhi Leonard 107 Shane Battier, 114 Grant Hill, 117 Thabo Sefolosha, 126 Caron Butler, 128 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 130 Lamar Odom, 133 Chase Budinger, 137 Ron Artest, 139 Derrick Williams, 140 Jared Dudley, 142 Trevor Ariza, 142 Tayshaun Prince, 152 Chandler Parsons, 153 Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, 158 Michael Beasley, 163 Marvin Williams, 166 Mike Dunleavy, 172 Jeff Green, 175 Carlos Delfino, 176 Steve Novak, 179 Harrison Barnes, 181 Richard Jefferson, 182 Dorell Wright, 186 Kyle Korver, 192 Hedu Turkoglu, 200 Tristan Thomas, 203 Corey Brewer, 205 Enes Kantor, 206 Jonas Jerebko, 208 Omri Casspi, 210 Mickael Pietrus, 216 Josh Howard, 217 Linas Kleiza, 221 Corey Maggette, 229 Matt Barnes

ESPN called Novak and Odom small forwards. A few guys the just called forwards.

[humblebum]

This ranking is pretty irrelevant. IMO its based more on him missing a season and questions surrounding his ability to stay healthy than on anything related to his level of performance or ability.

Green has never had a full season where he was able to play in a role and system which could best utilize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. He will have that chance this season. If he doesn't perform at an above average level than I will be sorely disappointed, but I am very confident that he will improve his efficiency and his defensive output will be a substantial addition to this team.

At the end of the season people will understand Green for what he is: an ultimate team first, versatile guy who's a great fit for this team and who's going to defend everyone from Kobe to Chris Bosh all while being extremely efficient target for Rondo. He will also surprise people with his aggressiveness taking advantage of shorter guys in the post and in with electric open court chemistry with Rondo.