Danny: "Jeff Green could be a better defender than Perk Right Now and in future"

[rondohondo]

Danny was on WEEI earlier and was asked who the best defensive player in the trade was and he said he thinks it could be Jeff Green right now and in the future. His argument was that Jeff obviously is a different kind of defender, but he is so athletic that he can guard 2 ,sometimes 3 positions, while Perk can only guard 1, sometimes 2 positions. He said that with the defensive system we have and the great defenders we have Green is going to fit in perfectly and that KG and PP specifically will make him a better defender

He also kept mentioning that Perk isn't the same player as he was before the injury, said he has barely any lift( true) , and said that once he suffered that injury to the healthy knee he didn't know if he would be close to the defender from last year. He said that in the game against Orlando Dwight Howard scored 14 pts in the 1st quarter with Perk out on the floor.


So does Danny have a point , could Jeff Green be the better overall defender right now?

[Onslaught]

Right NOW Perk's not even playing. So yes, he's better.

[Donoghus]

From a versatility standpoint?  Yes.

From a pure defensive man up standpoint?  No.

[Roy H.]

Ridiculous spin.  Sure, Green can defend three positions.  Unfortunately, he can only guard one of them *well*, and even at small forward his defense is inconsistent.  Green's defense at power forward, for instance, is very poor.

No, Perk by far is the best defender in the deal.  I agree that Green will get better, but he's not at Perk's level currently.

[barefacedmonk]

Why are Doc and Danny trying so hard to justify these moves? Whats done is done...get back to coaching doc..and let the new players justify your and DA's decision with their on-court performance.

[More Banners]

Right NOW Perk's not even playing. So yes, he's better.

This is exactly correct.  Danny's point is that Perk's ability is diminished by injury, perhaps for good.  He hasn't played much since the surgery, and almost immediately hurt the other knee, which is really not a good sign in my book.

In any case, it's hard to make a case against Danny since Perk only played 11 games before getting hurt in his 12th.  Danny has seen him play quite a bit more than we have, and has proven himself to be a pretty good judge of ability.

I'll take Danny's word for it, even if he might be stretching it a bit in terms of building up JG.

[mgent]

Has Danny ever been this wrong?  Perk is one of the best straight up defenders in the league.  Green's versatility (which he doesn't even have that much of) doesn't put him close.  How does Green fit better?  Is there anybody in the league that would be a better anchor in the frontcourt with Kevin Garnett?  Perk is capable of completely shutting down any center in the league other than possibly Bogut and Lopez.  And the help defense between him and KG was scary.

How many games back was he when let Howard score 14 in the first quarter?  I think it was one of his first starting.  And how many did Howard score in the second half??

Also when did Perk ever have any lift?

[mgent]

Right NOW Perk's not even playing. So yes, he's better.

This is exactly correct.  Danny's point is that Perk's ability is diminished by injury, perhaps for good.  He hasn't played much since the surgery, and almost immediately hurt the other knee, which is really not a good sign in my book.

In any case, it's hard to make a case against Danny since Perk only played 11 games before getting hurt in his 12th.  Danny has seen him play quite a bit more than we have, and has proven himself to be a pretty good judge of ability.

I'll take Danny's word for it, even if he might be stretching it a bit in terms of building up JG.

Isn't it a little early to be saying that?

[guava_wrench]

Ridiculous spin.  Sure, Green can defend three positions.  Unfortunately, he can only guard one of them *well*, and even at small forward his defense is inconsistent.  Green's defense at power forward, for instance, is very poor.

No, Perk by far is the best defender in the deal.  I agree that Green will get better, but he's not at Perk's level currently.

Good point about Green and positions, particularly the PF.

On the other hand, he makes a good point about Howard against Perk last time out and Perk's physical state this season. Perk has way more savvy than Green at this point, but Perk's physical condition with the knees might be enough to justify Danny's comments.

I also think that Green will be better than before now that he is in our system. Even Von Wafer looks respectable on D at times with us. Ray sometimes looks great on D.

[guava_wrench]

Right NOW Perk's not even playing. So yes, he's better.

This is exactly correct.  Danny's point is that Perk's ability is diminished by injury, perhaps for good.  He hasn't played much since the surgery, and almost immediately hurt the other knee, which is really not a good sign in my book.

In any case, it's hard to make a case against Danny since Perk only played 11 games before getting hurt in his 12th.  Danny has seen him play quite a bit more than we have, and has proven himself to be a pretty good judge of ability.

I'll take Danny's word for it, even if he might be stretching it a bit in terms of building up JG.

Isn't it a little early to be saying that?

I agree. I don't the the "for good" is warranted. Likely for the rest of this season, but I long see  why he shouldn't be fully recovered next season.

[CelticG1]

Danny was also saying that people that have been talking about Perk's defense are all referring to it pre knee injury.

He said flat out that Perk has lost lift and is not the defender he was before the injury.

It may be a little early to really justify that but there is not much time before the playoffs and especially with him being out at least 3 more weeks.

Foor people that have said that he is sacrificing this year maybe he looked at Perk as not being that defensive beast that we have grown to know and that perhaps keeping him could end up sacrificing this year.

[CelticG1]

Right NOW Perk's not even playing. So yes, he's better.

This is exactly correct.  Danny's point is that Perk's ability is diminished by injury, perhaps for good.  He hasn't played much since the surgery, and almost immediately hurt the other knee, which is really not a good sign in my book.

In any case, it's hard to make a case against Danny since Perk only played 11 games before getting hurt in his 12th.  Danny has seen him play quite a bit more than we have, and has proven himself to be a pretty good judge of ability.

I'll take Danny's word for it, even if he might be stretching it a bit in terms of building up JG.

Isn't it a little early to be saying that?

I agree. I don't the the "for good" is warranted. Likely for the rest of this season, but I long see  why he shouldn't be fully recovered next season.

Well if he isn't the same defender this year, and if his contract is up this year, it seems like a no brainer of a trade as long as you don't think he is the dominant defender this year.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Not that I agree with Danny, but Danny mentioned that TA was a better perimeter defender than Posey and many laughed at that assertion. So, just saying...

[guava_wrench]

Right NOW Perk's not even playing. So yes, he's better.

This is exactly correct.  Danny's point is that Perk's ability is diminished by injury, perhaps for good.  He hasn't played much since the surgery, and almost immediately hurt the other knee, which is really not a good sign in my book.

In any case, it's hard to make a case against Danny since Perk only played 11 games before getting hurt in his 12th.  Danny has seen him play quite a bit more than we have, and has proven himself to be a pretty good judge of ability.

I'll take Danny's word for it, even if he might be stretching it a bit in terms of building up JG.

Isn't it a little early to be saying that?

I agree. I don't the the "for good" is warranted. Likely for the rest of this season, but I long see  why he shouldn't be fully recovered next season.

Well if he isn't the same defender this year, and if his contract is up this year, it seems like a no brainer of a trade as long as you don't think he is the dominant defender this year.

That is also my thinking.

[GreenEnvy]

From the very little I've seen of Green, he looks like he could not only be a good wing defender, but perhaps a great one.

I'm starting to think Perk's defense is a tad overrated. He's a really good defender, but people talk about him like he's an all-time great. I don't remember him being anything special before KG. Then KG comes along and he is a defensive stud?

We won't know until June and beyond how smart of a trade this was.