Why Gerald Green is an Upgrade Over Evan Turner
By Ian Riaf
Gerald Green Could Just Be the Soultion to the Celtics Biggest Probelm
By now we all know the knock on the Boston Celtics last season was their three-point shooting. To be a contender in today’s NBA, you need to be making the three at a decent clip. While the Celtics offense looked to be running in full swing, role players were unable to knock down open looks from beyond the arc. One player particularly who hurt the Celtics from the three was Evan Turner.
Last year, Turner shot a below-average 24.1 percent from three-point range. Even worse, he didn’t attempt many threes, making him a non-threat. Although he played 28 minutes per game, Turner only attempted one three per contest. Because of his lackluster three-point shooting, defenses sagged off of Turner causing issues with the overall spacing on the floor.
Another problem with Turner was turnovers. Although averaging slightly over two turnovers a game, this was the second highest on the team, just below Isaiah Thomas. In addition, when Turner came off the bench as the point guard he only averaged around 4.5 assists per game.
Turner’s strong suit has pull-up long two-point shots., though These shots, however, are sometimes felt to be inefficient simply because, why take a long two point shot when one could step back a couple of feet and increase the scoring opportunity by one-third? Just below 40 percent of all Turner’s shots came from midrange where he shot a subpar 39.6 percent. The Celtics do not need another player shooting midrange instead they need three or four shooters on the court at all times.
So, why is Gerald Green a better fit for the Celtics than Evan Turner?
First of all, the Celtics need three-point shooting over ball-handling. While Green had an off year with the Heat last season, he has the ability to shoot 40 percent from three, as he did when he played for the Suns.
Green also shoots more threes per game. This helps immensely with spacing on the floor. Last year, 42.7 percent of all Green’s shots come from beyond-the-arc. During the 2013-2014 season when Green excelled with Suns, just over 50 percent of his shots came from three. This could open the floor for players like Isaiah Thomas and Jaylen Brown who like to drive to the hoop. Green knows his role as a shooter and doesn’t shy away from taking his shots.
In addition to his shooting, Green is extremely athletic and versatile. Many Celtics fans remember Green for winning the 2007 Dunk Contest, but he is more than just a dunker. His length and athletic frame allows Green to move freely throughout the floor.
Brad Stevens loves players who can get out in transition and use speed to their advantage. He also loves players who can play multiple positions. In today’s NBA Green can play anywhere from a shooting guard to a stretch four power forward. Both on defense and offense, Green is versatile. He has both the height to guard small power forwards and the speed to guard fast shooting guards.
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While some Celtics fans think that the addition of Green will cut into the minutes of players like Jae Crowder and Jaylen Brown, his quickness and shooting ability enables him to play alongside these players as a shooting guard. The Celtics can expect Gerald Green to bring high energy, quality three-point shooting and versatility on both ends of the floor.