Gerald Green?

[lucasc]

Honestly, I think Graham for Green would be good for us..he is a good finisher and he's never really been around a good play maker, or supporting cast at all.

I think if there's anyone in the league with potential just waiting to come out it's him.

Have you seriously watched him play or are you referring to the dunk contest. Cause from what I've seen, he is definitely not a good finisher around the basket.

[shrink]

A little info:

MIN had to make the decision whether to extend Green last summer, and they knew the finances would be tight. Owner Glen Taylor wasn't going over the lux, and things looked pretty tight for 2008. MIN was staring at paying for two 1st rounders (now 1, with MIA's collapse), two high seconds, and did not know who among Craig Smith, Ryan Gomes, Chris Richard, or Sebastian Telfair would play well and what it would cost to match salary offers. Even if Green's offer was only $2.5 mil, it could have cost MIN $7 mil, after they paid a $2.5 mil lux penalty, and lost their piece of the lux rebate (about another $2 mil). I think MIN made the wrong move by not extending him, but I can see their point .. Green's worth $2.5 on his massive potential alone, but would you plunk down $7 mil real dollars? I wouldn't.

As for the playing time, the two 1st MIN lottery picks in front of him is correct, but its Rashad McCants and Corey Brewer. With McCants, they need to find out what he can do, since he missed a lot of time with the surgery. Jaric has been pretty useful on a number of occasions as well -- he just missed triple doubles in two of his last three games. But people are right in general -- you've got to earn it.

As for Gerald Green the player, he is only 22, and the thing I like about him is that unlike most of these high school punks, everyone says he's a hard worker. I think the last characteristic is why he still has a chance to make it, because some athletes can be coached into BBIQ, but a player with BBIQ can't be coached into a 48-inch vertical leap.

He's still a longshot, and he may never amount to anything, but I think there's still a chance with the guy. His trade price will be very small, but MIN may be strapped against the lux next season, so they won't add salary unless its for a prospect. And remember - GG is a UFA.

[bballCT]

No doubt that GG's athletic and shooting abilities would fill a need. Who knows if this is tempting enough for BC's brass.

[mintsa]

-= original quote snipped =-

Right...because he was pleading with Colangelo to trade for him or something...

LOL....no its not that at all. Sometimes as a player you just have to shut up and play ball. And stop demanding to go where you think the grass is greener. If Green cant get plaing time in Minny, what other team could he possible get playing time on ???

Boston?? Phoenix?? San Antonio ???

If I was him i would just shut up and be thankful im on an NBA roster and play my ass off for the next big contract.

[JN]

I dont know, as much as id like to have him on the team maybe we can make a trade with them to improve are rebounding aswel?

Maybe move Nestro and Juan and Garbajosa for Green and some one.

What the hell would Minnesota want with two horrid contracts in Nesto and Garbajosa

[JN]

I think he would be worth a gamble, People thought JR Smith was worth way more than NO's got, they basically gave him away and hes a similar player, I think Graham and a 2nd would get er done.

.

It only gets done in your dreamworld.

Why the hell would Minnesota take on an extra year in a player in Graham. Second round picks have the same value as my ****.

[Khan]

i wish graham for green can be done... think about it, babcock drafted graham, maybe he'll think graham still got some games in him! and with his talent level at age of 25, he's just about to enter his prime!

let's go babcock! talk to mchale and make the deal done! raptors fans will forgive all your faults for trading carter for junks!

[stopnpop]

dixon for green would work or graham and a 2nd rounder ...Minny is not gonna pick up the oiption.they have given up on him...Toronto could finally get the player who was the logical choice when they drafted joey instead

[Morris_Shatford]

I can see why you are tempted,

22, 6'8, 200lbs, Great leaping ability, even a Slam Dunk Championship Winner and already nearly three seasons of NBA experience.

Although these are my concerns,

1) For all the hype surrounding this kid leading up to the draft, the fact that it was rumored that he would have gone as high as six to Portland, and then to see him fall all the way to 18, passed teams like Charlotte (twice), the Clippers, Magic and Wolves who would have all benefited from an exciting young raw explosive talent at the wing led me to believe that there was an issue, be it attitude, work ethic etc.

2) He is not improving, for a kid his age with those gifts I would imagine that after playing games against NBA talent he would be getting better but from year one to year two in Boston his minutes doubled as did his stats, no improvement. That makes me wonder how coachable this kid is? He is not improving on the aspects of him game anywhere near a level that he should be 136 NBA games into his career.

3) The Wolves are a bus wreck of a team right now looking at a way to clear the slate and start fresh by going young, and they didn't bother with their option on him next season, Its not as though the Wolves are stacked at the SG position or even have a superstar at either SG or SF yet he is still the third guy off the bench at both positions? A rebuilding team walking away from a 22 year old? hmmmmm

4) Two terrible teams who were making an effort (at the time) to move forward building around youth have had this guy and felt it was not worth the bother to even make an attempt to develop this kid, which begs the question of coachability.

Generally speaking, I have little to no interest in Green. The guy is a star when he has a wide open lane and an open dunk, aside from that his limited skill set, and lack of effort to improve overshadow the "raw athleticism" and "potential",

We already have Joey Graham failing to live up to the natural abilities he has, why frustrate ourselves with another?

And if we did, since he is an UFA at seasons end we could go after him at that time rather then trade for a pending UFA,

But if we REALLY want a project to develop that is available this summer I would sooner take a chance on Patrick O'Bryant who could fill a need for us then Green.

[Morris_Shatford]

Let me get this straight:

Andrea Bargnani: 9.1PPG 3.5 RPG 1.1APG .379/.382/.795

RAH! AHH! Bust. Bustnani. He's awful. Matt Bonner > Bargnani. Bargnani would be lucky to turn out half as good as Mehmet Okur....AWFUL. BUST BUST BUST. Bargnani has peaked and has no potential.

Gerald Green: 4.8PPG 2.2 RPG 1.2APG .339/.406/.720

He's so talented, and he can shoot ok now and he's good and so much potential.

Welcome to Raptorland, where the grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side.

[chuckerz]

we don't really need him. Last thing we need is another person playing either the 2 or 3 spot which i think we have enough of.

[Blazing_royale]

even if we get him, what if he doesn't like the tough luve smitch imposes to his players? what about playing time? what if he ain't getting what he thinks he deserves. He's just gonna bolt and make it known

[Atheist]

I think you'd have to be (Please Use More Appropriate Word) to not consider making a trade for green.

He's the absolute perfect huge reward no risk kind of guy.

The guy just turned what.. 21 years old?


Who cares if he can't even find a few minutes to play on our team, if he sits on the bench and matures as a player... theres still 29 other teams that in the league who might see the potential in him fitting in their roster a few years down the line.


He's a perfect potential high trade-value guy, with zero trade value at the moment.

how is it any different than a stock, get him low, trade him high. We could end up with a solid contributing player trading him in a few years when his rep goes back up.

Who cares if he doesnt like it here in a few years, His trade value will still be higher than a guy like Joey Graham, who could potentially Get us a player like Green at the moment.

[dagger]

I think you'd have to be (Please Use More Appropriate Word) to not consider making a trade for green.

He's the absolute perfect huge reward no risk kind of guy.

The guy just turned what.. 21 years old?


Who cares if he can't even find a few minutes to play on our team, if he sits on the bench and matures as a player... theres still 29 other teams that in the league who might see the potential in him fitting in their roster a few years down the line.


He's a perfect potential high trade-value guy, with zero trade value at the moment.

how is it any different than a stock, get him low, trade him high. We could end up with a solid contributing player trading him in a few years when his rep goes back up.

Who cares if he doesnt like it here in a few years, His trade value will still be higher than a guy like Joey Graham, who could potentially Get us a player like Green at the moment.

Actually, he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year.

[Schad]

A little info:

MIN had to make the decision whether to extend Green last summer, and they knew the finances would be tight. Owner Glen Taylor wasn't going over the lux, and things looked pretty tight for 2008. MIN was staring at paying for two 1st rounders (now 1, with MIA's collapse), two high seconds, and did not know who among Craig Smith, Ryan Gomes, Chris Richard, or Sebastian Telfair would play well and what it would cost to match salary offers. Even if Green's offer was only $2.5 mil, it could have cost MIN $7 mil, after they paid a $2.5 mil lux penalty, and lost their piece of the lux rebate (about another $2 mil). I think MIN made the wrong move by not extending him, but I can see their point .. Green's worth $2.5 on his massive potential alone, but would you plunk down $7 mil real dollars? I wouldn't.

As for the playing time, the two 1st MIN lottery picks in front of him is correct, but its Rashad McCants and Corey Brewer. With McCants, they need to find out what he can do, since he missed a lot of time with the surgery. Jaric has been pretty useful on a number of occasions as well -- he just missed triple doubles in two of his last three games. But people are right in general -- you've got to earn it.

As for Gerald Green the player, he is only 22, and the thing I like about him is that unlike most of these high school punks, everyone says he's a hard worker. I think the last characteristic is why he still has a chance to make it, because some athletes can be coached into BBIQ, but a player with BBIQ can't be coached into a 48-inch vertical leap.

He's still a longshot, and he may never amount to anything, but I think there's still a chance with the guy. His trade price will be very small, but MIN may be strapped against the lux next season, so they won't add salary unless its for a prospect. And remember - GG is a UFA.

Good stuff as always shrink. My question: Greg Buckner has played almost 500 minutes to less than 300 for Gerald Green, though admittedly most of those came at the beginning of the season. I can understand playing Jaric on the wing in the hopes that he can be traded this year or next. But why did Wittman play Buckner so heavily for the first month, which saw Green stapled to the bench? If ever there was a season where it made sense to commit 100% to development, this would seem to be the one...

[dagger]

Here's a little problem for you: If Minnesota didn't pick up his option because of 2008 luxury tax concerns, why are we so different. Look at our luxury tax issue with Jose and Carlos.

Secondly, BC wasn't deterred by luxury tax from picking up Joey's 4th year option, or from signing Humphries to an extension. He knows that he can move either in a pinch, or move somebody else, and avoid paying tax. Green would cost, at most, $2.3 million next year, and if he showed anything at all, that would make him more attractive in a value trade than his current UFA status. I don't buy the whole luxury tax thing. It was a factor, but not THE factor.