is Gordon Hayward better than Jeff Green?

[Who]

This year Hayward and Green have similar roles ...

Um ... no.

Hayward is playing SG and is one of the primary ball handlers on his team.  He averages 70.8 touches per game and has possession of the ball some 3.4 minutes per game.  He averages .23 points per touch.  He scores .26 points per half-court touch.

Green is playing SF, is used almost exclusively as a finisher on offense.  He averages just 46.7 touches per game and has possession of the ball just 1.6 minutes - less than half the time Hayward has it.  He averages .34 points per touch.  He scores .43 points per half-court touch.

They are both very good players, but they are not at all in similar roles.

TP for those stats! very interesting! I was thinking that Hayward is much much better than Green but they are two different players with different roles. Its like comparing apples to oranges.....one is not necessarily better than the other its just which do you prefer. Hayward is like an apple and Green is like a a grapefruit. More people prefer apples to grapefruits! lol

Yep, great stats. Where do you get those no. of touches + time spent on the ball stats?

Edit: Nevermind. I see it there on the nba.com website.

[mmmmm]

This year Hayward and Green have similar roles ...

Um ... no.

Hayward is playing SG and is one of the primary ball handlers on his team.  He averages 70.8 touches per game and has possession of the ball some 3.4 minutes per game.  He averages .23 points per touch.  He scores .26 points per half-court touch.

Green is playing SF, is used almost exclusively as a finisher on offense.  He averages just 46.7 touches per game and has possession of the ball just 1.6 minutes - less than half the time Hayward has it.  He averages .34 points per touch.  He scores .43 points per half-court touch.

They are both very good players, but they are not at all in similar roles.

This is true, but I think it's worth pointing out that I don't think Green could or would want to function in the role that Hayward is playing right now.

I mean, if there was ever a time for Green to take a larger role in terms of getting more touches on offense, it would be this season.  It hasn't happened.  I just don't think that's the kind of player Green is or wants to be.

I don't try to guess what any of these players 'want'.

I think it's pretty obvious that Green is playing in a team and an offensive system that goes as it's point guard goes.

When Green has been on the floor with Jordan Crawford, he has averaged 0.381 FGA per minute, or 0.194 FGA per possession.

When Green has been on the floor with Pressey, he has averaged 0.474 FGA per minute, or  0.251 FGA per possession.

That's a 30% increase in shots for Green when Pressey is at PG versus when Crawford is at PG.

Note that Green's eFG% is virtually identical with either Pressey (48.9%) or Crawford (48.4%).   So again, as I've mentioned before, increased USG has not resulted in decreased efficiency for Green.

[letsgoblue86]

Absolutely.  Hayward has a position and excels at it.  In nearly every aspect of the game.  Who thought this guy was gonna turn into an elite defensive player too?

Jeff Green doesn't have IT.  MJ had IT.   Jeff Green don't.

[SHAQATTACK]

Jeff can either disappear or be one the most thrilling highlight players in the game on some nights.

His shot over James to win with a 1 sec was one Ill never forget.......but he has so many night you forget he is even on the team.


Gordon doesn't have the talent to be as great as Jeff....he doesn't have the physical gifts .

I think Gordon s a great  shooting guard .......very smart IQ and going to Iimprove still......Jeff is going to be Jeff it's clear by now.


In the long run ...I would take Gordon for a young team.........he could start at the 2 ..

Jeff s actually better of the bench for someone like Melo, James , Durant......perfect role player to fill in for these guys

So maybe Jeff is a somewhat better player o. Some days

Gordon is more consistent and really fits the Celtics idea better.......jus my opinion

[TwinTower14]

Absolutely.  Hayward has a position and excels at it.  In nearly every aspect of the game.  Who thought this guy was gonna turn into an elite defensive player too?

Jeff Green doesn't have IT.  MJ had IT.   Jeff Green don't.

I would say that the majority of GM's would prefer Hayward over Green.  Simmon's tweeted out last night that the C's are going to make a strong push for him at the deadline or the Summer.

[Monkhouse]

Absolutely.  Hayward has a position and excels at it.  In nearly every aspect of the game.  Who thought this guy was gonna turn into an elite defensive player too?

Jeff Green doesn't have IT.  MJ had IT.   Jeff Green don't.

I would say that the majority of GM's would prefer Hayward over Green.  Simmon's tweeted out last night that the C's are going to make a strong push for him at the deadline or the Summer.

Overall Hayward has far more potential, but that is all speculation. Yes there is the Butlers connection, but the only way I see Hayward coming is if we trade Bradley and someone else for Hayward.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Yes.

Defensively, not really, but all around game, Hayward is better.

Mentally, I think he's far ahead of Jeff Green too.

[CelticG1]

All Hayward does is lose just like Carmelo 

[Boris Badenov]

This year Hayward and Green have similar roles ...

Um ... no.

Hayward is playing SG and is one of the primary ball handlers on his team.  He averages 70.8 touches per game and has possession of the ball some 3.4 minutes per game.  He averages .23 points per touch.  He scores .26 points per half-court touch.

Green is playing SF, is used almost exclusively as a finisher on offense.  He averages just 46.7 touches per game and has possession of the ball just 1.6 minutes - less than half the time Hayward has it.  He averages .34 points per touch.  He scores .43 points per half-court touch.

They are both very good players, but they are not at all in similar roles.

This is true, but I think it's worth pointing out that I don't think Green could or would want to function in the role that Hayward is playing right now.

I mean, if there was ever a time for Green to take a larger role in terms of getting more touches on offense, it would be this season.  It hasn't happened.  I just don't think that's the kind of player Green is or wants to be.

I agree with both mmmm and Pho - they play different roles, and for good reason. Those stats suggest that Hayward is an effective NBA playmaker and Green isn't. And like Pho says, if Green could serve as a playmaker, wouldn't we be using him as one now, with not a single legit NBA point guard on the roster?

It's one of the most baffling things about Green's NBA career to me. He was actually used pretty effectively as a facilitator at G-Town. I guess the judgment of his teams/coaches since then has been that he just can't play the same role effectively at the NBA level.

[Mr October]

I think Hayward has the edge, because of the importance of shooting and playmaking. Green's advantage is defense, while still scoring, shooting well.

Either way, both of these guys are complimentary players, and are probably best suited as a 4th best player on a contender. I would feel good about paying either one of them 9 million per year in that role.

If Gordon requires anything over 11 million per year, i would stay away.

[D.o.s.]

Absolutely.  Hayward has a position and excels at it.  In nearly every aspect of the game.  Who thought this guy was gonna turn into an elite defensive player too?

Jeff Green doesn't have IT.  MJ had IT.   Jeff Green don't.

I would say that the majority of GM's would prefer Hayward over Green.  Simmon's tweeted out last night that the C's are going to make a strong push for him at the deadline or the Summer.

I hope not. Doesn't that run contradictory to the notion that the C's want to be bad in 14-15 too? I remember reading that somewhere on here.

[clover]

Yes.

Defensively, not really, but all around game, Hayward is better.

Mentally, I think he's far ahead of Jeff Green too.

Mentally is indeed where Hayward has a major advantage.

[vinnie]

Yes.

Defensively, not really, but all around game, Hayward is better.

Mentally, I think he's far ahead of Jeff Green too.

Mentally is indeed where Hayward has a major advantage.

And here come all the responses challenging your right to say Jeff Green is mentally weak in 3-2-1 seconds, because who do you think you are. How do you know what is in the guy's head, are you in the locker room every game, blah blah blah. Jeff Green may have more people making excuses for him than any other player in the history of sports. 

[D.o.s.]

Yes.

Defensively, not really, but all around game, Hayward is better.

Mentally, I think he's far ahead of Jeff Green too.

Mentally is indeed where Hayward has a major advantage.

And here come all the responses challenging your right to say Jeff Green is mentally weak in 3-2-1 seconds, because who do you think you are. How do you know what is in the guy's head, are you in the locker room every game, blah blah blah. Jeff Green may have more people making excuses for him than any other player in the history of sports. 

Well how do you know that Hayward is more mentally tough?

[Mr October]

Yes.

Defensively, not really, but all around game, Hayward is better.

Mentally, I think he's far ahead of Jeff Green too.

Mentally is indeed where Hayward has a major advantage.

And here come all the responses challenging your right to say Jeff Green is mentally weak in 3-2-1 seconds, because who do you think you are. How do you know what is in the guy's head, are you in the locker room every game, blah blah blah. Jeff Green may have more people making excuses for him than any other player in the history of sports. 

Well how do you know that Hayward is more mentally tough?

I cant really judge how mentally tough a player is until i see them in the playoff pleasure cooker, for multiple series. So far jeff green looks pretty good, close to how he is in the regular season.

Hayward has been in the playoffs once and stunk. I need to see more. I certainly cant label him mentally strong yet.