Jeff Green to Start Next Year?

[LooseCannon]

Our team's biggest strength was its starting unit.  I remember reading that our starters, as a unit, had the best +/- of any unit in the NBA this season.  That being the case, I'd be hesitant to break them up.

...

I think part of the solution -- beyond just finding better players -- is for Doc to mix his bench in a little better with his starters.  There's no reason to substitute the entire bench in at once; I think the team would play more effectively if Doc tried to keep 2 or 3 starters out there as much as possible.

This is exactly why Doc goes with the all-bench second unit, to maximize the time that the starters play together as a unit.

Ainge seems to think similar to me, as I was going to suggest Pierce coming off the bench.  I like Pierce playing 30+ mpg as a sixth man better than Ray Allen doing so because I think Pierce is a better backup 2 than Allen is a backup 3.  I also prefer to maximize Ray's minutes next to Rondo.  I believe Pierce himself has said that he envisioned moving to the bench at some point during his current contract.

[ScoobyDoo]

Jeff Green reminds me a little of James Worthy. He's not a great ball handler and he loses it on the dribble occasionally. But he's long and fast on the break and he started attacking the rim a bit more as he got more comfortable playing with our guys. He doesn't have the mean streak that Worthy had but I see some similarities physically.

As Ray, KG and and Pierce, respectively we need to transition in new players to replace them.

The team Ainge is now rebuilding while staying competitive and relevant is a team that is going to fly up and down the court with Rondo at the helm. He is not going to trade Rondo - he's going to give Rondo weapons on the break. Jeff Green is one of them and that's why the trade was made.

We may have missed the ring this year, in part because of the Perkins trade - but if Ainge gets done what I think he's trying to get done - we may well win many more in short time with Jeff Green as merely the 3rd or 4th option on our team - behind two eventual max contract free agent guys to be named and Rondo.

My guess is that those max free agent signings that will come once Ray and Kevin come off the books or resign at much less money as role players, will be at the off guard and either PF or C positions - most likely at PF and SG and they will all be able to fly up and down the court - Ainge already has his small forward in Jeff Green.

I made another post yesterday on this issue about "what's your starting lineup for next year.

For me, there is no way I am carting out Ray Allen as my starting off guard at 36 years old, that's not going to work. As great an athlete as Ray is, his minutes need to come down. Pierce is too young to go to the bench right now.

I really like:

C - to be names
PF - KG
SF - Green
SG - Pierce
PG - Rondo

As someone else said, Green and Rondo need to start building chemistry as soon as possible.

Pierce can drop some weight, which would be good for his longevity and slide to off guard.

This would make us bigger, longer and faster overall all - something that wouldn't hurt us on the boards and in the open court.

I'd like to see a youngish center brought in that can get up and down the court with Green and Rondo.

Ray Allen is the consummate professional - I think he would relish the role of assassin off the bench to come in and crush the second units of other teams by reigning threes on them.

If the starting unit doesn't have it going early, you can always bring Ray in and slide Pierce to the 3, Green to the four, etc. - or bring in your PF back up and sit Green.

I love keeping the big three together but if we do we won't win unless we have some young guns doing some very heavy lifting for us starting from day one in training camp.

I think Green can be a 20 and 6-8 guy with a full camp and starter minutes.

IMHO    

[Chris]

Some guys have nothing but bad luck. Four years in the league and always being used in the wrong way, not getting enough minutes, etc. Don't the good to really good players quickly figure out how to make the most out of their situations and use their physical skills to succeed? Don't the really good players figure out how to contribute to a team regardless of the role they are put in?

I believe this is the case. That is why Jeff Green is an average player who is what he is and who will always be what he is. Hopefully I am wrong if he stays with the Celts.

I agree with this.  However, I think Green played worse than he is capable overall this year.  I don't think he could ever be a star, but I think if he gets comfortable with his role, and they learn better how to use him (and Doc feels more comfortable with him on the floor), he can be a 12-15 point per game scorer (in about 25 minutes) off the bench on this team.

I don't think he will ever be much more than that, but I think he could be exactly what this team needs next year as that wing off the bench.  

If this became the case it would be good. Not great, but good. I, like others, hope Danny is just trying to pump him up before he trades him.

Honestly, I would be perfectly happy if that were the case, because I don't see him as a longterm solution on this team...but I really think Danny just thinks out loud a lot, and loves throwing those things out there just to mix things up a bit.  

[ScoobyDoo]

TP to Chris.

One of the things I've really disliked about Ainge ( and I am a big Ainge supporter in general) is that every single year we are trying to assimilate new players at the trade deadline.

I think this has consistently hurt our continuity each year in varying degrees. This year I think it was dramatic.

I would absolutely love it if for once we could get a team assembled during the summer and outside of adding maybe one guy at the trade deadline or someone who is bought out, just let them work together all season and build chemistry.

One of the reasons I thought our team played so well up until the all star break and trade dealdine this year, even with all the injuries we had, was because they were all together from training camp forward and had ample time to get to know each other.

I'd almost like to have less talented guys who've played together all year than slightly more talented guys who are coming in and trying to assimilate on the fly as we careen towards the playoffs every year...

[Roy H.]

Danny followed up on his comments:

"So I said that on the radio show [Thursday], just to get everybody sort of excited," joked Ainge. "Yeah, I'm sure I'll be hearing from Paul. But I don't know. That will be Doc's decision. Jeff playing a bigger role, if he comes back, I think that that will be the case if he were to come back. I think he would play a bigger role. I have no idea, maybe he'll start in place of Ray [Allen]. Now [I'll be hearing from] Ray. Who knows? I don't know the answer to that. But it's possible that there could be [changes] -- it isn't like this core group of guys doesn't have to play the exact same way or with the exact same players. There's some things that can be tweaked. That's my whole point."

Link.

Rather than shaking things up, maybe Danny could get some better, healthier personnel?

[Chris]

Like I said, Danny likes to just throw this stuff out there.  People need to stop taking him so seriously.

[ScoobyDoo]

Intersting - I'd like to revisit this post come game one of next season.

If Green is with us, I'm putting my money on him in the starting lineup with Ray off the bench.

It seems like the logical progression. 

[celts55]

When Danny says stuff like Green could be starting or will have a much bigger roles next year, what I'm hearing is, "see I didn't screw up with this trade".

What Danny is also saying:  don't expect to see Big Baby back next season.

Oh please be true.

[Evantime34]

To me this is a negotiating ploy. Hey Green we're willing to consider moving Pierce to the second unit to give you more time, be reasonable with us when it comes to be contract time.