1. Gerald Green’s Come Up
This offseason was a non-stop series of moves by the Heat. And for good reason. After what could be called a complete failure of a year, the organization had to ensure that 2015-2016 would be a whole different story.
Among the players picked up was Gerald Green, the 29-year-old swingman from Houston, Texas. Although Heat Nation was excited to have yet another new face on the team, the hype did not really start until preseason.
Most people in the basketball world associate Green with his mind-blowing dunks; he won the 2005 McDonald’s All-American Slam Dunk Contest and the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest (coming in as runner-up in 2008). However, because he has played for 14 different teams ever since being drafted in 2005 (including D-League and International squads), many have not kept up with his career, unsure of what more he could bring to the table. But that has all changed.
During preseason play, he averaged 17.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.6 minutes. Already impressive on paper, his raw talent only becomes magnified with teammates like Dwyane Wade stating that the second unit is easy, “find Gerald.”
In fact, the season has yet to even start, and Green is already being labeled as a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. And while any talk of awards at this point may be premature, there is good reason for doing so in this case. Get ready for one heck of a thrilling season from Green.
Next: A Double-Double Machine