I'm legitimately hopeful, like I tweeted today, that Jeff Green will be the player I know he can be: a top 5 SF in the league.
Think about it: LeBron and Durant will probably be undisputed best SFs.
Then, Melo is the next tier.
After that? Some names come to mind: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Nic Batum....
And Jeff Green. In the times I watch Celtic basketball, I absolutely love watching Green play. He inspires me sooo soooo much with his return and every time he posts up and makes that beautiful hook-shot, I smile. When he splashes home a three, I think of all the great things he could do.
I know I seem like I'm just making excuses by blaming his surgery... But he will get better. Much better. I'm talking about Carmelo Anthony in his prime, better. The same Melo who is one of the better SFs to ever play this game we love.
He shows flashes of brilliance with his offensive post game, his range and form are not bad at all. He has the bulk to be a decent post-defender, which even Melo isn't, and is already an above average face-up defender.
His dunks and close-range game remind me of a refined Blake Griffin, and his court awareness is just below Rondo, though it appears to be aloofness. He's hit his share of game-winners in his career and can come up big.
He definitely has the potential to be something special in this league even after the tragedy he faced and at worst, he can be an All-Star. All he needs is refinement, and.... Consistency,
Do NOT trade this kid. He will dominate.
/rant
On the positive side, Jeff Green has speed and hops to spare. He's shown a renewed commitment to defense this year. His length can create problems for other offenses, and he's made some big defensive plays in the clutch this year. He can score from anywhere - in the post, slashing, midrange jumpers, threes. He flashes good vision.
On the negative side, for all of his versatility there isn't any one thing that he does at an elite level. Inconsistent jumpshot. Not all that adept at pulling up off the dribble because he doesn't go straight up - he drifts. His slashing ability is hampered by a slow first step. Average handle, doesn't display an ability to change directions. Soft touch around the rim, but his post moves are very rudimentary and are generally reliant on simply being bigger than the defender. Not nearly as good on the boards as he should be with his length and athleticism.
I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I really think he needs to improve his footwork. Right now it's poor, and if he were to work extensively on it then it would improve literally every aspect of his offensive game.