Now first let me preface all of this by saying that I realize that Green's had exactly one good game since he's come here and I realize that it came against a poor defensive team in the Golden State Warriors. I realize quite fully that this may not (and likely will not, at least for a while) be the norm.
However, if we were to suppose that Green eventually becomes a valuable 6th man, able to drop 20 points on any given night, my question is as follows: does that extend our window with the Big Three?
Most of us have been acting like we're making a big push to pretty much clear everyone off the books except Rondo, Pierce, and perhaps Green, by 2012 and make a run at a top free agent like Dwight Howard. However, couldn't it just as likely be that Danny's planning the exact opposite?
First, let's face the fact that even if we were to manage to clear enough cap space under the new CBA (which is no guarantee depending on how much the cap drops), the chances of Howard coming here are low. It's not just the weather. While Rondo and Green could be a nice incentive for him, in order to have enough space for him, we'd have to renounce our rights to Allen and Garnett. Furthermore, Pierce wouldn't be as much of a draw, as Howard would know that he'd only be playing with him for part of his contract.
Second, right now Ray and KG are showing no signs of letting up. Ray arguably is looking the best he's looked since coming here and KG looks the best he has since 2008. Furthermore, guys like Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, and Michael Jordan all stayed productive into their late '30s, as Steve Nash and Grant Hill are now. Given how good KG and Ray look now (not to mention the fact that next year might be a shortened season), can we really expect them to decline so dramatically that it wouldn't be worth trying to extend them a year or two?
Third, this is where Green comes in, even if we do see declines in the games of all 3 members of the the Big 3, can't Green make up for that, as he arguably can be paired with any two members of the Big Three? Couldn't we afford to play them 30-32 minutes per game, knowing that Green could play 35+ and make up for any lack of production?
Finally, while everyone has their eyes on 2012, can't the big free agent year come any summer? If we extend Ray and KG one year, couldn't we just as easily make a run at free agents in 2013? Or in 2014, Pierce becomes a free agent, freeing up even more cap space.
Thoughts? I realize that it's very, very early to be talking about this stuff. However, I think it's interesting to think about and could really influence the way Danny approaches this summer. If he is open to waiting until 2013 or 2014, he might be much more open to extending BBD and it could even affect how they approach Green, who they may be willing to extend through 2013 or 2014.
Topic: Does Green Extend the Window? (Read 7355 times)