ROYisR.O.Y.

What is the story with this guy in Boston?
it seems like he is on his way to being a superstar but he is playing behind wally and others?
not being from the area how does boston view this guy?

Premier

He has his moments on offense, but he hasn't significantly improved on defense in two seasons.

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ROYisR.O.Y.

i was just wondering cause ive never heard a bad report on his game but he doesnt recieve much credit.
does that mean that he is expendable?

BackwoodsBum

Premier pretty much nailed it. Gerald has shown flashes of brilliance on offense but is most often completely lost on defense. I think Gerald is a perfect example of a player who really would have benefited by playing a few years under a GOOD college coach learning the fundamentals of the game. As it is he's trying to learn how to utilize his talents while getting schooled by more polished players in the NBA. I'm not ready to give up on him yet but I wouldn't be against moving him if the right deal came along. As for being expendable, is there anyone on this team who isn't??? I don't think there is a player on the C's right now who is (or should be) untouchable. Gerald won't come cheap but his lack of progress means that it's not out of reason to think that he might be included in a trade to bring in a quality veteran player.

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Causeway

Super talented and athletic, but almost always looks lost on defense, and can look lost on offense as well. He unfortunately still looks like a kid out there.

As BackwoodsBum said, for the right deal I'd move him.

ehmunro

Every player on a 24 win team is expendable. As for Green, he's a dead-eye shooter when he's wide open. He's not so good at shooting when on the move. His handle is still terrible, and, unfortunately, he just isn't terribly smart. They've been trying to turn him into T-Mac, and in my opinion it's a mistake. They really should have been helping him to learn Reggie Miller's game. His shot mechanics are such that he could play that game. But they want to make him a showtime-type player. If some other team wants him, and there's an impact vet to be had (say Artest), losing Green shouldn't be an impediment.

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"The Spurs are the Jason Voorhees of the NBA. No matter how many times you think you've finally killed them, turn your back on them and they're right back on their feet, machete in one hand and chainsaw in the other."

"Tim Duncan is the biggest crybaby in the NBA. If the Spurs were gay, he'd be Liberace." MCD

"Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed

"I do not know what the Queensberry rules are, sir, but the Wilde rules are to shoot on sight!" Oscar Wilde to the Marquis of Queensbury after being threatened by the former pugilist.

Those who are in the know praise Dead Women Tell No Tales:

"The account of Kobe participating in orgies and the description of the surroundings is accurate. I attended few of those parties myself..." -- Jondell R. Montgomery, Long Beach, 2006

"Mom, you'd tell me if you were in a German scheisse video, right?"

dts

To be perfectly fair, no small on this team has improved their defense since Doc Rivers has been coach. Clifford Ray has helped the bigs a bit, but zero perimeter defense has been taught under this regime. I mean, maybe the players are just terrible defenders. But I believe good coaching can turn any player into an at least competent defender. These guys are completely unable to even understand a pick and roll, or make switches, basic stuff they should all be learning. Doc's system doesn't seem to teach that. I think a more able coach would make this into an adequate defensive team (leaving aside the impossibility that is Wally). And I certainly believe that if someone actually taught defense to Gerald he is capable of learning it.

ehmunro

Our big men are awful defenders too. Part of it is Rivers' attachment to a gambling, turnover-creating defensive set, part of it is that the team is constructed around marginal players who have major holes that really can't be filled in. No amount of coaching will make Kendrick Perkins faster than the average three toed sloth, no amount of coaching will allow Delonte to stay in front of point guards, or make Jefferson quicker/faster. They can't defend the pick and roll because their big men aren't quick enough to handle switches or to fake a trap, leaving them to either trap the pick & roll, or to leave guys like West trying to get around a screen (which he isn't quick enough to do) or fight through the pick (which he isn't strong enough to do). Simply put, the problem is their personnel, for one reason or another (and mostly it's a huge collection of slow footed players), aren't good defenders, and this team just isn't built for defense. And really not for offense, either (witness, for example, the drafting of an open court player to play the one on a team whose finishers are strictly halfcourt guys). And the problem begins in the front office.

One of my biggest problems with the Ainge regime has been his Moneyball approach to basketball, it doesn't work. And we have four years of abject failure here to back that up. And his whole Moneyball approach to the game has led him to make some glaring mistakes. He is so obsessed with finding "undervalued assets" that he passes on better talent to grab them and/or trade for them. If you look at the Celtics roster you see an alarming number of players without a real position for reasons of height, athleticism, etc. But, of course, they're skilled players, so Ainge feels he's getting a bargain by taking them. For example, in 2003 he went for the short, overweight, unathletic high school center, over better college players that were athletic enough to play in the NBA. Why? Well Perkins was skilled, and had a large wingspan. But in taking an "undervalued" player, he rejected a legit NBA 3 in Josh Howard. In 2004 he focused on a 6'2" shooting guard and a 6'3" small forward with no jumper, and passed over more traditional talent to get them. Why? They were skilled (at least in West's case) and had a large wingspan. The more traditional players have panned out, meanwhile the 6'2" shooting guard is still a defensive liability and one of the worst point guards in the NBA and the 6'3" small forward is now rehabbing from his second major knee surgery and third knee surgery overall (and despite the fact that he still can't shoot to save his life is probably the best of his marginal choices). Look at the rest of the roster, a 6'7" PF with limited athleticism, a 6'6" PF with two surgically reconstructed knees, a 6'7" wingman too weak and soft for the 3 and too slowfooted to play the 2. Worse still, the second round pick that he traded for the 6'6" PF is the same pick that Denver traded for a more traditional 6'6" SG who had a very good year.

In a game that can't be analysed the way that baseball can, you need more flexibility. Ainge doesn't have it. He is so focused on acquiring players that he feels are undervalued for physical reasons that he misses out on better players. Unless the Celtics are holding a winning lottery ticket this is the future. Sadly, if the Celtics do hold a winning lottery ticket, Danny will probably credit his approach to talent acquisition rather than raw luck. I have an alarming track record of being right in criticising Ainge's moves. I'm a basketball blogger, I shouldn't be right about his bad moves to the degree that I am. When criticising Geoff Petrie, for example, I'm generally wrong. That's how it should be. NBA GMs should be better than I am.

__________________
"The Spurs are the Jason Voorhees of the NBA. No matter how many times you think you've finally killed them, turn your back on them and they're right back on their feet, machete in one hand and chainsaw in the other."

"Tim Duncan is the biggest crybaby in the NBA. If the Spurs were gay, he'd be Liberace." MCD

"Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed

"I do not know what the Queensberry rules are, sir, but the Wilde rules are to shoot on sight!" Oscar Wilde to the Marquis of Queensbury after being threatened by the former pugilist.

Those who are in the know praise Dead Women Tell No Tales:

"The account of Kobe participating in orgies and the description of the surroundings is accurate. I attended few of those parties myself..." -- Jondell R. Montgomery, Long Beach, 2006

"Mom, you'd tell me if you were in a German scheisse video, right?"

BleedGreen

Gerald's offense really isnt that bad. He did average over 10 ppg in his second season in the NBA. He scored 33 points against Atlanta this year and he is only 21. He scored at least 20 points 15 times this year. His offense is very inconsistent though. Some nights he is dead on and others he cant hit anything. Two things are limiting his offensive game right now, ball handling and strength. He doesnt possess the handle to consistently take defenders off the dribble and that doesnt let him get to the rim, like he should be able to with his athleticism. Also, Gerald is still a skinny kid and needs to add some size this offseason. That should help him on both sides of the ball.

Gerald is still lost defensively. Some strength would help but he really just needs to get his head into it. He needs to learn all the things he missed out on in college. Maybe Tony Allen could help him out a little with perimeter defense. He has the ability he just needs to LEARN. With that said I hope Gerald Green is hard at work this offseason

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Jacoby_Ellsbury

Yaaaaa Green is still playin behind Szczerbiak unfortunately he should be way ahead of that arthritic bum but Doc Rivers is ur coach so we shouldnt expect anything less (or more)

It's spelled Szczerbiak, -biak, is the ending.

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Causeway

I am the first one to blame Doc for young players not being used properly. But in this case, I think Green got plenty of time this past season. Granted it of course came after Wally went down (again), but Green did not show he was ready for prime time.

BleedGreen

If Gerald wants to be ahead of Wally next year he is going to have to put in some work this offseason.

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