Can Gerald Green Earn A Rotation Spot?

After showcasing his potential in his preseason debut for the Celtics, Gerald Green could find himself as a candidate for quality minutes heading into the regular season.

Heading into the Boston Celtics‘ third preseason game on Saturday afternoon against the Charlotte Hornets, a plethora of signs pointed to the possibility that the elder statesman on The Green’s roster, shooting guard Gerald Green, might not survive to see the team’s opening night on October 26. Signed to a one-year contract worth the minimum salary, Green is certainly an expendable asset, and his absence from the Celtics first pair of exhibition contests appeared to expose a player who may not have been prepared to introduce himself to the Boston rotation just yet.

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However, the inklings of Green being released prior to the beginning of the regular season have since been silenced, as the 30-year-old impressed in his first appearance in kelly green since being dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2007 as part of an extensive package in exchange for a future Hall of Famer named Kevin Garnett. Despite a few early struggles, Green responded in the beginning of the second half with an eye-opening scoring spurt in which he notched nine points in rapid succession. The run of buckets was exactly what general manager Danny Ainge pictured when he netted Green in the offseason, perceiving him as someone who could fill up the stat sheet in a flurry once his rhythm is activated.

After hustling for a loose ball and converting a breakaway finish with contact for an and-one, Green canned a deep two-point jump shot off of a screen, putting an emphasis on his silky outside touch. Then, Green proceeded to show that his penetration ability is still present. After receiving the rock off of another off-ball screen, he pounded a few dribbles into the Mohegan Sun Arena hardwood before skying for a contested finish on the opposite side of the rim, concluding a spurt that had head coach Brad Stevens gushing.

Green also brought a level of intensity on the opposite end of the floor. On one sequence, after a hard first step by Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on a drive from the left wing appeared to leave Green in the dust, he recovered brilliantly. Once Kidd-Gilchrist rose for a right-handed finish, Green was presently awaiting the shot, swatting it away cleanly with his right hand.

If Green can combine his trademark offensive flashiness with a level of defensive effort, he could compete for 10-15 minutes per game within the Celtics rotation. In 22.6 minutes per contest with the Miami Heat last season, he posted 8.9 points and 2.4 rebounds nightly, displaying his ability to consistently perform as a daily rotation option. One vulnerability that Green will need to patch up heading into this season is his efficiency from three-point range. Just two seasons removed from a 2013-14 campaign in which he converted on a stellar 40 percent of his three-point shots while with the Phoenix Suns, Green’s outside shooting percentage dipped to a paltry 32.3 percent with Miami last season.

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When Green is on the floor, it will be crucial for him to be a threat from the outside, as the options cloaking him on the depth chart, including the likes of Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and Jaylen Brown, are less than effective from deep. Establishing a consistent three-point shot throughout the remainder of the preseason is the key for Green if he wishes to attract some rotational minutes at the outset of the season.