Jeff Green's DraftExpress profile: he was a good passer/playmaker

[bfrombleacher]

Yes, I like to be optimistic about my team and the players in it.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/jeff-green-368/

"Green, who is a great passer for a bigger player, moved the ball very well for the Hoyas, picking up 3 assists, but his contribution to the offense will not be seen in the box score. The Commodores did a fantastic job taking center Roy Hibbert out of the Georgetown attack in the first half, but Green was able to set his teammate up with some nice looks after the half. Green also showed great court vision out of the post, hitting Patrick Ewing Jr. a couple of times in the corner for open jump shots."

I certainly hope that the transition back to SF, his natural position, helps him get back some of this.

He's also said to be aggressive when called upon.

[Galeto]

The lack of playmaking has puzzled me.  He was knocked at Georgetown for not being aggressive enough and then he becomes a black hole in the NBA.  I don't think position or playing with Durant and Westbrook explains it because if you're a passer, that's a mentality you play with regardless. 

Most of his playmaking in college came on set plays within the Princeton offense.   Maybe that just doesn't translate to other offenses.  Caron Butler is another player who was a very good playmaker in the Princeton offense and a black hole outside of it.

[indeedproceed]

Draft express does a better job scouting players than anyone out there I've seen.

But Green has been in the league 4 seasons, playing every season next to elite scorers at their positions. If he was a great passer at any position, he would've shown it more.

A lot of players have skills that are elite in college but don't for whatever reason translate into the NBA or aren't a part of their game that necessitates use much.

For Green, I think it's 2-fold: 1) he has the ball a ton at Georgetown (he was always known as a 'jack of all trades, master of none' kind of player), and because he had the ball so much, and because he's naturally deferential, his passing was much more of an asset. In the NBA, he just hasn't had that role often, if at all. 2) he is all that great a passer, good for a big man maybe, but as a 3, is he really all that better than Chandler Parsons? Rudy Gay?

[bfrombleacher]

But Green has been in the league 4 seasons, playing every season next to elite scorers at their positions. If he was a great passer at any position, he would've shown it more.

Like I said in the first post, he's been playing PF extensively. I'm certainly hoping that moving back to SF helps. This may very well apply to his other skills as well (and I'm hoping it does).

I'm certainly very hopeful as he's no longer playing out of position or out of place in the lockerroom (having replaced a team favorite).

[Galeto]

For Green, I think it's 2-fold: 1) he has the ball a ton at Georgetown (he was always known as a 'jack of all trades, master of none' kind of player), and because he had the ball so much, and because he's naturally deferential, his passing was much more of an asset.

I don't think it was just because he had the ball a lot.  I think it was more because of the playcall.  He was the PF in the Princeton offense and got the ball a lot in the high post.  The little I know about that offense, when a player gets the ball in the high post, he can't just look for his own offense all the time, he has to look for his teammates backcutting and whatnot.  I remember Green throwing a lot of nifty bounce passes to back cutters.  He got a lot of assists in college because he had the passing ability and because he had to pass.  The vision he showed at Georgetown should translate to the NBA but for whatever reason, he limits himself to a scorer.

I certainly hope that the transition back to SF, his natural position, helps him get back some of this.

Why would playing power forward limit his passing?  You can be a passer out of any position.

[Fafnir]

He was a really good passer and playmaker out of the post, both high and low in college. But he's less of  a mismatch in the pros, so that likely limits some of what he used to do at the lower leve.

I think if called upon he'd be able to summon some of that in the pros, but I don't think his overall level of offensive play justifies giving him that burden.

[Chris]

See, I think Green is a very good passer.  Except he is a very good passer in the way that Delonte West was a very good passer.  He doesn't rack of assists.  He moves the ball, and makes the smart pass.  But that doesn't always end up in the stat sheet.

I also think the fact that he played with mostly isolation scorers in OKC doesn't help.  Yes, Westbrook and Durant are great scorers, so I can see why one would think someone playing with them would get assists.  But they create their own shots. 

Where I think Green is at his best, and where I expect the C's to really use him on the second unit, is in the low post, and at the top of the key.  I think they will run the offense through him a LOT, when Rondo is off the floor.  They will use him to basically funnel the offense through, kind of like they do with KG at times. 

[bfrombleacher]

Why would playing power forward limit his passing?  You can be a passer out of any position.

Would it not? I'm under the impression playing out of position would impact more than your scoring and defense.

[Fafnir]

Why would playing power forward limit his passing?  You can be a passer out of any position.

Would it not? I'm under the impression playing out of position would impact more than your scoring and defense.

He played PF in college in the post, his passing was based on playing that position from the high post (and low at times)

[Chris]

Why would playing power forward limit his passing?  You can be a passer out of any position.

Would it not? I'm under the impression playing out of position would impact more than your scoring and defense.

He played PF in college in the post, his passing was based on playing that position from the high post (and low at times)

And more importantly, an offense that called for it. 

[pearljammer10]

Yes, I like to be optimistic about my team and the players in it.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/jeff-green-368/

"Green, who is a great passer for a bigger player, moved the ball very well for the Hoyas, picking up 3 assists, but his contribution to the offense will not be seen in the box score. The Commodores did a fantastic job taking center Roy Hibbert out of the Georgetown attack in the first half, but Green was able to set his teammate up with some nice looks after the half. Green also showed great court vision out of the post, hitting Patrick Ewing Jr. a couple of times in the corner for open jump shots."

I certainly hope that the transition back to SF, his natural position, helps him get back some of this.

He's also said to be aggressive when called upon.

I think green is going to see just as many minutes at the four this year as he is playing the three.

[Reyquila]

You mean that we have to go back to the Expressdraft Info to find out what kind of a player Green was in college, and then project him into our future? Kind of late for that, I think. lol

[Boris Badenov]

You mean that we have to go back to the Expressdraft Info to find out what kind of a player Green was in college, and then project him into our future? Kind of late for that, I think. lol

Particularly since his NBA production has been exactly the same every year!

It's not like he is some great unknown who hasn't played much, or has varied a lot in terms of his play.

[mmmmm]

Why would playing power forward limit his passing?  You can be a passer out of any position.

Would it not? I'm under the impression playing out of position would impact more than your scoring and defense.

He played PF in college in the post, his passing was based on playing that position from the high post (and low at times)

Yeah, but physically, he was not at a mismatch at PF in college.  So he _might_ be more comfortable as a facilitator against SFs - you know, a lot of the guys who, like him, were playing PF/C in college ... 

More seriously - all this talk focuses on Green's offensive role.  Offensively, he hasn't been terrible at PF.  He hasn't been great, either.  But not bad at all.  His offensive production is similar overall at both the 4 or the 3.  He's been able to use his speed advantage at the 4 and his size advantage at the 3 to be productive offensively at either position.

It is on defense where Green has struggled the most at the 4.  If he were heavier, he would not get pushed around by 260 pound PFs.  If he were 6' 10" he would not get shot over by 6' 11" big men.  But he is 'only' 228 and he's 'only' 6' 9".   He's just plain not big enough to be a full-time PF.

He needs to be at SF on defense.  At SF, he's big enough, long enough and fast enough to defend almost all SFs.  His opponent-against splits at SF & PF the last couple of years were very compelling in this regard.

[Fafnir]

Why would playing power forward limit his passing?  You can be a passer out of any position.

Would it not? I'm under the impression playing out of position would impact more than your scoring and defense.

He played PF in college in the post, his passing was based on playing that position from the high post (and low at times)

Yeah, but physically, he was not at a mismatch at PF in college.  So he _might_ be more comfortable as a facilitator against SFs - you know, a lot of the guys who, like him, were playing PF/C in college ... 

I don't think this is true, Jeff Green was absolutely a mistmatch at PF in college. A NBA level athlete at his size and skill level is a big mismatch for the vast majority of college forwards. He was too quick for guys his own size and too big for smaller players in the post.

Very few NBA caliber PFs were around to punish him on the other end like what happens when he plays PF in the pros.