Jeff Green into the Starting Lineup

[Lightskinsmurf]

One thing i will say is i think pierce needs to stop chucking up so many shots. Id like to see green play more and id like to see terry handle the ball more. Especially in the 4th. Him and pierce can take turns.

[Professor of Rondology]

since when is pierce injury prone

As he's gotten older he's gotten more injury prone.  Is that even disputable?


This just in- Hondo was a 6th man! Mchale was a 6th man! Bringing a HOFer off the bench is not unprecedented, people!

I said it in the other Jeff Green thread, as well, but in his 13 seasons, Paul Pierce missed a total of 40 games.
His sole season where he missed a real amount of games was 2006-2007.

He isn't injury prone and this isn't even disputable.

I never said that he was.  All I said was that as he's aged, his injury proneness has increased.  That statement is true for pretty much everyone in the league.  He may not have missed many games last year, but a healthy Pierce was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND when we needed him the most.  So I'd say being wary of his health is extremely important.

[nickagneta]

Perhaps Green's best game of the year comes during a game where Pierce went nuts from 3 and put up 27 while playing good defense on Durant and making him work.

Not only is this a terrible idea, it might be as poorly timed a time to mention it as there could be.

[Lightskinsmurf]

Health is number one most important. Pierce should be playing around the same mins as KG.

[Fafnir]

since when is pierce injury prone

As he's gotten older he's gotten more injury prone.  Is that even disputable?


This just in- Hondo was a 6th man! Mchale was a 6th man! Bringing a HOFer off the bench is not unprecedented, people!

I said it in the other Jeff Green thread, as well, but in his 13 seasons, Paul Pierce missed a total of 40 games.
His sole season where he missed a real amount of games was 2006-2007.

He isn't injury prone and this isn't even disputable.

I never said that he was.  All I said was that as he's aged, his injury prone-ness has increased.  That statement is true for pretty much everyone in the league.  He may not have missed many games last year, but a healthy Pierce was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND when we needed him the most.  So I'd say being wary of his health is fairly important.

Starting him or having him be the 6th men won't help him avoid injury. And unless we're playing Pierce around 34 minutes per game we'll be a worse team for it.

[Clench123]

Hence the ridiculous overreaction after one game.  One game.  People, please calm down.  Jeff's been TERRIBLE this season up until yesterday.  And all of a sudden, he should be our starter.  Let's be real here.  He hasn't shown enough.  His lack of effort on the court should be our main concern.  Like I said, he needs to be traded if we can get something better

[indeedproceed]

since when is pierce injury prone

As he's gotten older he's gotten more injury prone.  Is that even disputable?


This just in- Hondo was a 6th man! Mchale was a 6th man! Bringing a HOFer off the bench is not unprecedented, people!

Its not unprecedented if that's where they spent most of their time, or its very early, or very late in their careers.

It is pretty unprecedented when they're the undisputed starter, better player, still in the tail end of their prime, franchise cornerstone, and team captain. That's pretty unprecedented.

[dark_lord]

since when is pierce injury prone

As he's gotten older he's gotten more injury prone.  Is that even disputable?


This just in- Hondo was a 6th man! Mchale was a 6th man! Bringing a HOFer off the bench is not unprecedented, people!

it is ABSOLUTELY disputable.  look at the games played the last 5 yrs.  one thing pierce has been throughout his career is durable.  the only year he really missed considerable time was the year we tanked.  in that season, he may have come back sooner, but since they were tanking for oden/durant, he likely took his time.

there is nothing wrong with coming off the bench, but it is a terrible idea for pierce, especially for a guy like jeff green

[Fafnir]

Also Pierce wasn't healthy last year during the playoffs because he sprained his knee during the playoffs. That's just basketball and happens.

[Professor of Rondology]

Perhaps Green's best game of the year comes during a game where Pierce went nuts from 3 and put up 27 while playing good defense on Durant and making him work.

Not only is this a terrible idea, it might be as poorly timed a time to mention it as there could be.

One game doesn't effect my outlook on the season nearly as much as most everyone else on this board. 

Hence the ridiculous overreaction after one game.  One game.  People, please calm down.  Jeff's been TERRIBLE this season up until yesterday.  And all of a sudden, he should be our starter.  Let's be real here.  He hasn't shown enough.  His lack of effort on the court should be our main concern.  Like I said, he needs to be traded if we can get something better

You are totally misrepresenting my suggestion.  I was suggesting this because of how inconsistent JG is as a reserve, not because of one scoring outburst.

[dark_lord]

since when is pierce injury prone

As he's gotten older he's gotten more injury prone.  Is that even disputable?


This just in- Hondo was a 6th man! Mchale was a 6th man! Bringing a HOFer off the bench is not unprecedented, people!

I said it in the other Jeff Green thread, as well, but in his 13 seasons, Paul Pierce missed a total of 40 games.
His sole season where he missed a real amount of games was 2006-2007.

He isn't injury prone and this isn't even disputable.

exactly!

[TripleOT]

If a guy can't perform off the bench, even though he's been in the league for five years, what makes one think that he's going to be any better as a starter? 

It should be easier for Green to play well against other bench players. I shudder to think what he would do when matched up more often with top level talents who start.

This proposal makes no sense.   

There is a significant attitude difference between being a bench player and starting.  Some people are better suited for coming off the bench while some struggle in that role. 

Jeff Green CAN perform both off the bench and as a starter- his career stats provide proof of this (the Jeff Green is a career scrub argument is pretty ridiculous)-the issue is getting him to perform consistently for this team.  It is at least possible that starting him would help him develop that consistency. 

Green was pedestrian at best as a starter in OKC.  Pierce has been a HOFer as a starter.  it makes no sense changing Pierce's role on the team to give a middling player like Green a starting role in the hope that he's going to become anything more than what he was in OKC. 

What Green needs to do is embrace the 6th man role, and play aggressively against the other team's bench players.  If he's all that talented, as the OP seems to think, he can become a James Harden type here for the Celtics. 

I'm convinced that Green is nothing but an average NBA player, someone who has a ton of skill, but because he has very little intestinal fortitude, is stuck at being average.  One can hope that, in his 5th year, that Green is going to flip some switch and become a stud, but I'm not holding my breath.

He was a stupid acquisition, who suffered a serious medical setback, and then was rewarded with a foolishly out-sized contract. I hope I'm wrong and Green will morph into an impact NBA player.   

[Fafnir]

You are totally misrepresenting my suggestion.  I was suggest this because of how inconsistent JG is, not because of one scoring outburst.

I don't think playing your  inconsistent backup small forward in the starting line up trying to force him into being more consistent is a recipe for success. Especially when Paul Pierce's reaction to being benched is a huge unknown.

[Professor of Rondology]

since when is pierce injury prone

As he's gotten older he's gotten more injury prone.  Is that even disputable?


This just in- Hondo was a 6th man! Mchale was a 6th man! Bringing a HOFer off the bench is not unprecedented, people!

Its not unprecedented if that's where they spent most of their time, or its very early, or very late in their careers.

It is pretty unprecedented when they're the undisputed starter, better player, still in the tail end of their prime, franchise cornerstone, and team captain. That's pretty unprecedented.

Good point.  Red Auerbach might counter that unprecedented moves sometimes win championships.

Also Pierce wasn't healthy last year during the playoffs because he sprained his knee during the playoffs. That's just basketball and happens.

Playing him fewer minutes reduces the risk.  Less basketball= less opportunities to be injured.

Health is number one most important. Pierce should be playing around the same mins as KG.

Yes.
I know that moving Pierce to the bench would make us a slightly worse team, but look at the Spurs.  Sacrificing regular season wins for rest and health is a smart move.

[Lightskinsmurf]

Perhaps Green's best game of the year comes during a game where Pierce went nuts from 3 and put up 27 while playing good defense on Durant and making him work.

Not only is this a terrible idea, it might be as poorly timed a time to mention it as there could be.

One game doesn't effect my outlook on the season nearly as much as most everyone else on this board. 

Hence the ridiculous overreaction after one game.  One game.  People, please calm down.  Jeff's been TERRIBLE this season up until yesterday.  And all of a sudden, he should be our starter.  Let's be real here.  He hasn't shown enough.  His lack of effort on the court should be our main concern.  Like I said, he needs to be traded if we can get something better

You are totally misrepresenting my suggestion.  I was suggesting this because of how inconsistent JG is as a reserve, not because of one scoring outburst.

Since when do you get awarded a starters role from being inconsistent off the bench tho lol.