The Jeff Green Conundrum

[slick_watts]

Here are some facts:

- Jeff Green has a lower shooting efficiency this season than Thabo Sefolosha.
- Jeff Green has a high USG% than James Harden.
- Jeff Green is 7th on the team in TRB% among rotation players, ahead of only Westbrook, Harden, and Maynor.
- Jeff Green is shooting about the same from 3PT range as Russell Westbrook.
- Jeff Green, for the second straight year, has the worst raw +/- on the team among rotation players.

I like Jeff Green as a player. He can be a starter in the NBA. But he's hurting this team because of the minutes he plays. He is playing roughly 40 minutes per game, a large percentage of those minutes coming at PF.

What this does is it prevents the Thunder from utilizing their very best lineup. Last season, Ibaka / Collison front court was our stopper defensively. It was really the only lineup we could use that had a solid positional defender paired with a weak side shot blocker. It worked. It's worked this year, too, when it's been used. But with Krstic out, that means Ibaka is playing out of position at center, and he sees much less time with Collison. Collison, likewise, sees much less time with Ibaka and more time with Green at PF. This hurts their productivity. Ibaka and Collison both have seen drops in their TRB% this season - because they are the only big guy on the court for a greater percentage of their minutes.

I don't think this team will compete so long as Jeff Green remains on it. There are some fantasies that Green will be a sixth man off the bench, but I've lost hope that Scott Brooks will not play this guy 40 minutes a game if he's on the team. Green would be a great player for us if he wasn't playing so many minutes and forcing the team to play so many small or ineffective lineups.

[Balkman32]

I think you are 100% wrong. Jeff Green is great for this tram. Taking him off this team will remove their identity.

[Devilanche]

The question then would be: To extend or to trade?

Frankly I don't think it'll be a problem if he stays and average 30mins, I'm even of the belief that he's the sort of role player that's worth overpaying for, but I just don't want him to start/ play extended mins against starting PF. Presti got a tough decision on his hand

[Sinant]

Jeff Green should only stick around if Scott Brooks plans to use him as a sixth man. I think he can be good in that role, but playing him 40 minutes and a lot of those at PF is clearly not working.

[sonic-ben]

If everyone believes he is a Ideal 6-man .... REPLACE THE COACH

and play him as a 6th man

[Balkman32]

Easy on replacing the coach. Jeff Green has been playing solid @ the 4. He is only 24. We are expecting the world on him. Ibaka is a very nice player, but, his impact off the bench is much more impressive than his impact as a starter. I have been a backer if using Green as a 6th man, but, I think Ibaka off the bench brings more to the team. It is really the amount of minutes they play not who starts. As long as Green, Ibaka, and Harden are avgering 30+ min we should be fine.

The problem w/ Uncle Jeff is money. When it comes down to it there is a new CBA comming. Who knows what is going to happen with that. In the NBA there are always teams who are willing to offer a ton of money to players. If some one over pays him we wont match it. He is going to have to give us a hometown discount. The thunder need to stay under the Lux Cap if there is still one.

[wiff]

Easy on replacing the coach. Jeff Green has been playing solid @ the 4. He is only 24. We are expecting the world on him. Ibaka is a very nice player, but, his impact off the bench is much more impressive than his impact as a starter. I have been a backer if using Green as a 6th man, but, I think Ibaka off the bench brings more to the team. It is really the amount of minutes they play not who starts. As long as Green, Ibaka, and Harden are avgering 30+ min we should be fine.

The problem w/ Uncle Jeff is money. When it comes down to it there is a new CBA comming. Who knows what is going to happen with that. In the NBA there are always teams who are willing to offer a ton of money to players. If some one over pays him we wont match it. He is going to have to give us a hometown discount. The thunder need to stay under the Lux Cap if there is still one.

Some times I wonder if you even watch the games? Your posts are just laughable.

[Clangus]

Jeff Green should only stick around if Scott Brooks plans to use him as a sixth man. I think he can be good in that role, but playing him 40 minutes and a lot of those at PF is clearly not working.

I agree with this

[HeartSouloma]

I also agree with this too, if we keep on playing JG at the 4 we won't win. But yeah like i said I think he will leave us to play for another team with lots of cash. And I do agree we should stay under the lux cap. But what ever happens i hope we sign JG for less money and play him as our 6th man off the bench.

[Jeff23]

The most ridiculous thing about Green is that he steals Hardens playing time. How many times have we seen Harden and Thabo on the bench with 9 minutes in the second quarter to go. As much as i like Green, he's hurting this team so much. The thunders record without Green is 7-1. Opponents were Philly, Portland, Utah, Rockets, Boston twice (lost once) and Milwaukee. He's shooting whooping 42% and 28% from downtown. Thabo has better shooting percentages than him and Green took twice as many shots. Its not like teams are double-teaming Green, he's wide-open all the time. He's a very good player imo, that has the wrong role on this team.

[Balkman32]

So what Role should Green be in? Everyone needs to take into consideration that Green is Durant's boy. If Green is not on this team in the future you could very well posibally hurt is growth.

[Jeff23]

So what Role should Green be in? Everyone needs to take into consideration that Green is Durant's boy. If Green is not on this team in the future you could very well posibally hurt is growth.

lol. Durant can live without green... he's not 12 ffs.

[sonictecture]

Is this a Jeff Green problem, a Scott Brooks problem or a Sam Presti problem?

Green seems to do the best he can, there isn't a lot of mystery to his game at this point.

Brooks has a profound trust in Green and believes that having Green on the court gives him the best chance to win games. The amount of statistical evidence that Green should play less at power forward or less minutes overall seems secondary to Brooks gut instinct.

Presti drafted Green presumably to play alongside Durant. Presti drafted White and Ibaka and extended Collison, all power forwards. Presti signed Kristic, drafted Mullens and Aldrich all centers. None of the players have taken time away from Green.

[holdmymartian]

I don't blame Presti in anyway. He brings in the talent. He doesn't put them at the end of the bench. I really don't know why Brooks doesn't throw Aldrich in for a few spot minutes here and there. The best way to see how good anyone really is is to let them play.

On JG, I really don't understand the situation. Why would you play someone who is performing so poorly so many minutes? Even if it was to showcase him in a trade, wouldn't it benefit everyone to give him more minutes when he's efficient and less when he's not? I blame all of this on Brooks.

[sonictecture]

If Presti is only responsible for brining in the talent, don't we have to hold him accountable for not finding an upgrade at power forward? It's difficult to fully blame Brooks when no other player has stepped up to supplant Green.

Presti has had and still has assets to find an upgrade at power forward, but chooses to draft players like Pleiss instead. Presti has had cap space to bid on free agents, but has chosen not to.

If you wonder why Brooks insists on playing Green so many minutes at power forward, then you must also wonder why Presti never makes a move to improve the position with a known quantity.

[Yoshi2kx]

Last 5 games for Green

39.0 Minutes

25-69 shooting

3-19 (3pFG Shooting)

6-9 (FT Shooting)

0.2 (steals)

0.2 (blocks)

0.6 (TO)

4.2 (REBOUNDS)

3.4 Assists

11.8 PPG

[Trip]

Last 5 games for Green

39.0 Minutes

25-69 shooting

3-19 (3pFG Shooting)

6-9 (FT Shooting)

0.2 (steals)

0.2 (blocks)

0.6 (TO)

4.2 (REBOUNDS)

3.4 Assists

11.8 PPG

Why post what is well known on this board?

[HeartSouloma]

Last 5 games for Green

39.0 Minutes

25-69 shooting

3-19 (3pFG Shooting)

6-9 (FT Shooting)

0.2 (steals)

0.2 (blocks)

0.6 (TO)

4.2 (REBOUNDS)

3.4 Assists

11.8 PPG

That's just...... I wish Jeff Green would of come off the bench. He's killing this team.....

[Visigoth]

So what Role should Green be in? Everyone needs to take into consideration that Green is Durant's boy. If Green is not on this team in the future you could very well posibally hurt is growth.

Your takes are so bad, lol. Chemistry is a good thing in this team, but you're acting like it's everything. Jeff Green is a good part of the picture, but he makes this team worse than it could be.

[bbms]

Jeff Green can't guard the post. Simple. Plus, he is not shoting well.

He has to leave. He has potential but is not beingused correctly.