Post#7 » by slick_watts » Sun Feb 27, 2011 3:15 am
I like the trade that was made, and have felt for over a year and a half that Jeff Green did not fit into the long term plans of the organization. It has been a frustrating experience for me watching Jeff Green during that span, because I really wanted him to be good.
When Green was drafted, I was stoked. I liked him as a college player, and I was elated that Presti did not draft someone like Yi or Brewer. After the rough and tumble years of Gary Payton, then almost too good to be true sterility of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, it was exciting to have Jeff Green on board with Kevin Durant - introducing some youthful precociousness that the Soncis hadn't had in a long time:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuDMXgB6hcE[/youtube]
Green's rookie season was encouraging. You could see he had talent. He eventually won the starting job at SF and you could immediately tell that this was a guy who could glue the rest of the rotation together. With Kevin Durant at SG, we were set at the wings for a long time.
Then Scott Brooks made the switch. Kevin Durant to SF, Jeff Green to PF. As Durant's productivity skyrocketed, it was easy to ignore at first the difficulties Jeff Green was experiencing at PF. He was clearly out muscled, out 'lengthed', out gunned. But he never complained, he did his best for over two full seasons playing out of position against some of the most productive players in the league. Green was always the glue guy, someone who would sacrifice shots, sacrifice lime light, sacrifice his body for the team. These things have value. But as the Thunder got better and better, their weaknesses became more and more apparent. I remember being blasted constantly early last season for my thoughts on Jeff Green - how he was not a starting PF on a good team. Few would agree. As the season went on, more and more fans saw what was happening. By the start of this year, Jeff Green was thought of by most fans as a bench player being forced into a starting spot. Everyone liked Jeff Green as a person and teammate, so it was hard to admit for a long time that he just was not the right fit.
I'll miss Jeff Green. Something felt different about the team when I watched them last night. It took me a little while to register the feeling, but I later realized it was the same feeling I had when I watched the Sonics play their first game without Gary Payton. I missed GP as player; I knew though he was not the right person to have on the Sonics as they tried to rebuild. I miss Jeff Green as a person and representative of the Thunder, but I know he wasn't the right player for this team to get over the hump. Green wasn't a Thunder nearly as long as GP was a Sonic, but he made a big impression on me nevertheless. I'm glad he's moved on to greener pastures, and will have an opportunity to make that same impression on the Boston fans.