Jeff Green looking to emulate modern day greats – NBA Update
Jeff Green, the Boston Celtics wingman, whose arrival at the franchise caused quite a stir, said in a recent interview that he is looking to improve a lot next season and named the who’s who of modern day basketball greats as the
players he is modelling himself after.
Green was brought over from Oklahoma City Thunder in the middle of the season by Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. Ainge was the man responsible for bringing together Boston’s big three of Kevin Garnett, Ray
Allen and Paul Pierce and is generally held in high esteem by the fans.
However Ainge also has a reputation of making some bold moves and not being fazed by the consequences. If he believes the move is right for the franchise, he will often disregard the input of others and make it happen.
The deal that brought Green over to the Celtics was a clear example of that. The Boston Celtics locker room did not want to lose centre Kendrick Perkins. Perkins contract was expiring though and Ainge decided to cash in now rather
than lose him on a free. So he went out and got Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic in exchange.
The move initially has not been successful. While Perkins went and made the Thunder stronger straight away, playing a vital role in the franchise’s run to the Western Conference Finals, Green failed to make an instant impact with
the Celtics.
In fact, Boston consistently performed better when the wingman was on the bench, and his role became reduced as the season progressed.
However, that has not deterred the young forward from dreaming big. He believes he can be successful in Boston and eventually do what he was brought in to do, take the mantle from Paul Pierce. Green said he was improving all the
time and named Pierce, Los Angeles Lakers super star Kobe Bryant and Miami Heat forward LeBron James as the players he was trying to emulate,
“That’s up to Doc (Rivers). I know they wanted me to be more aggressive, so that’s what I’ve been doing, is just working on my all-around game. Getting a little Paul Pierce in me. You know, taking a little characteristics from
different players. Kobe, being one. Paul. Being with them for a couple of months now. Just a number of guys. LeBron. I’m just working on my game, trying to get better.”
It will be interesting to see if Green can back his boasts next season. The player has plenty of talent and freakish athleticism, but is plagued by inconsistency and lack of commitment on defence. Doc Rivers though is a very shrewd
coach and at Boston Green is surrounded by legendary players that can help him get better and realize the potential that Danny Ainge saw in the first place.
It will be interesting how this turns out.
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