Why the Gerald Green Hype Is Premature
Gerald Green lit it up for the Miami Heat this preseason, but don’t name him Sixth Man of the Year just yet.
More from All U Can Heat
- Grade the Trade: Heat grab Trae Young in shocking proposal
- NBA 2K24 Ratings: Takeaways and reactions to Miami Heat player ratings
- 4 Teams that should trade for Tyler Herro
- Miami Heat’s Nikola Jovic gives entire world reason to love him
- 1 Advantage the Heat have over every Southeast Division team
After not stepping foot on an NBA court from 2009 to 2012, the enigma that is Gerald Green has been one of the league’s hottest players this postseason, causing a sea of premature hype.
It’s impossible to overlook Green’s impressive preseason performance, but the key word there is “preseason.” But Heat fans are not the only ones hopping on the Green bandwagon; Basketball Insiders recently listed Gerald Green as a potential sixth man of the Year candidate.
"“Green recently dropped 28 points off the bench in a preseason game and has the chops to do big things this year, particularly if the HEAT conserve Dwyane Wade by limiting his minutes. He’s a dark horse candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, but one that needs to be taken seriously.”"
It’s fair to describe Green as a sleeper pick for this award, but let’s not forget his past. With his athleticism, shooting and inability to be a consistent contributor, he’s basically Michael Beasley, minus a few inches (and fingers).
After being drafted 18th in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, Green was unable to find his niche, and played on four different teams within his first four seasons.
From 2009 to 2011, Green played in Russia and China before he eventually joined the Los Angeles D-Fenders in 2012. He worked his way back up to the NBA, but continued to bounce around from the New Jersey Nets, to the Indiana Pacers and finally found his groove with the Phoenix Suns.
It was in Phoenix, Green started to look like the player scouts hoped he would one day become. During his two-year stint with the Suns, he shot 38 percent from long range, and finished fourth in the 2014 Most Improved Player voting.
Green has come along way from his days of playing overseas, but there’s a reason why the Heat were able to acquire him for the veteran’s minimum. He comes from the same mold as Michael Beasley or J.R. Smith; the talent is there, but not the consistency. Green is going to turn 30-years-old this January, not many players get better into their 30’s, especially players who depend on their athleticism.
Don’t get me wrong, Green has proven over the last couple of years to be a solid role player, and he may even turn out to be the steal of the offseason, but he’s not what his preseason stats indicate.
This preseason, Green averaged 17.8 points per game, 11th best in the league, according to NBA.com. Most impressively, he connected on 3-pointers at a clip of 41.7 percent. That would mark a career high.
His recent play has been incredible but, like I said before, that was the preseason. There’s a reason these stats don’t count. Three-year veteran, John Jenkins, who has a career average of 12.8 minutes per game, is currently fifth in scoring this preseason with 19.7 points per contest. Take these stats with a grain of salt.
Green is playing out of his mind right now, which means either he’s spontaneously become a top-caliber scorer at the age of 29, or he’s simply on a hot streak and will eventually regress back to the mean. I’m going to assume the latter.
Luckily for Green, high-volume scorers with complicated pasts seem to have a history of winning the Sixth Man award. After spending 10 years as a rotation player, Lou Williams won the award last year at the age of 28, and it took eight years before the notorious headache, J.R. Smith, won the award back in 2013.
Be excited Heat fans, because your team may have just found a diamond in the rough, but proceed with caution. Green could become the off-the-bench scorer and shooter this team needs, but don’t forget, he’s only a few years removed from playing for the Foshan Dralions.