All in all, I don't see many unguardable guys. The ones who are unguardable like Wade and Harden are unguardable by anyone, not just Green.
I think you're missing the point. The idea isn't to just find guys that won't torch Green, or that he can "hold his own" against. A player should be able to control his opponent while gaining a greater advantage to justify playing him out of position where he's comfortable.
He can cover smaller guards like Mayo, Beal, etc and even if he can't, they're going to struggle to guard him as well.
This is, 99% of the time, not a viable basketball strategy/argument, no one ever advocates a Yao Ming or Shaq should play PF because PF's are going to struggle to guard them as well.
Defense should always be the first priority, especially when you've got a guy like Rondo running the offense.
In a league in which defensive wing role players have to be able to guard both positions, it's an interchangeable position.
So you're talking about all of 2 or 3 elite "defensive wing role players" who are effective at guarding both positions on a consistent basis? And Green isn't even close to a stopper on defense, let alone elite or versatile. Nor is he a role player anymore, we're talking about a 30+ minute guy.
Then you've got the long list of players that are offensively talented enough to remain consistently effective at both positions, which I believe starts and ends with Joe Johnson.
I'm sorry, but despite a league that is starting to become interchangeable at the 4/5 and 1/2, SG and SF are still far from interchangeable aside from spot minutes or specific matchups.
Green should be able to cover the role players like Sefolosha, Green, Butler, Allen and Shumpert.
Ehhh, I'm pretty sure Butler and Shumpert torched the Celtics last with guys like Lee and Bradley on them.
You're saying that just because certain players don't always bring consistency on offense that a SF like Green should have no problem covering them.
Did I miss the point? I just didn't want to break down how I thought Green would fare in every match but I wasn't saying, "Green won't get torch by so and so guys, therefore he should be capable of playing SG." No, my point was, he won't get torched because you are wildly overrating the quickness advantage of shooting guards over Green as well as their offensive abilities as a whole.
Be specific. Aside from guys like Wade or Harden, who are unguardable by almost anyone and plus utilize screens so well that it's not a one-man effort anyway, who will torch Green?
Take the Atlantic Conference:
1) Derozon. What disadvantage does Green have defensively in this matchup? He can contain Derozan off the dribble and in the post, where Derozan improved, Green's size should serve well if not outright discourage any post ups.
2) Evan Turner. No reason he couldn't guard him. He's not quicker.
3) Joe Johnson. Johnson was never the quickest guy anyway, relying on great ballhandling ability and strength to almost walk his way down the basket. The size advantage he's enjoyed has been a big part of his game and Green would nullify that.
4) Shumpert. First of all, I just wanted to say that your memory of who guarded who is inaccurate. When Pierce and Green played the wings together, it was Pierce who spent most of the time defending guards. Anyway, as for Shumpert, did he have some good games? Well yeah, he shot better than expected. Would I call it torching and indefensible? Hardly. You're really claiming that Green wouldn't stand a chance against Shumpert, really? Your supposition that because Bradley and Lee (OMG actual guards who defended him!!!) struggled, therefore what chance does Green have is, I don't know, kind of silly too.
What it comes down to for me with Green defending 2s is that most of them are not quicker. 2-Guards and Small forwards are not much different athletically. This is a concept that won't die. People still mindlessly think that because a prospect isn't the best ballhandler, therefore he's automatically a small forward. The main difference is size. The real quickness gap exists between points and wings and this is why I wouldn't advocate Green guarding points. Further, a lot of the 2-guards aren't even penetrating types anyway. Green is capable of keeping them out of the paint and contesting their shots on the perimeter. If Danny Green, who I acknowledge is an underrated athlete, can defend 2-guards, yeah, I think Jeff Green is athletically capable of it too.
Instead of praying he would hold his own, I think he might be better suited to being a guard. Defensively, I think he'll fine and offensively, since he's not all that good penetrating against fellow wing players anyway, having extra inches of clearance on his jump shot and in the post should be very helpful for him.
Topic: Jeff Green will get minutes at the shooting guard position! (Read 15038 times)