4. Fading Role In The Rotation?
It’s a lot easier to write these words given Green’s currently fading role in the rotation. Last season, the Four-Fingered Assassin played all 82 games, averaged 28.4 minutes a night and posted 15.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 44.5 percent shooting (40.0 percent from three-point range).
This season, those numbers have taken a slight nosedive to 13.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game on 41.6 percent shooting (37.3 percent from downtown). Now that’s not a horrendous drop-off, but it’s still significant, especially in the wake of his diminishing role in the rotation.
Gerald Green had played in 129 of a possible 129 games as a member of the Phoenix Suns before tonight.
— Scott Howard (@ScottHoward42) January 31, 2015
Last Friday against the Chicago Bulls, Green received his first “DNP – CD” (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision) of his time with the Suns. Hornacek said after the game it was an in-game decision, though many speculated he was being traded. But no deal has been completed yet and in the two games since, Green has logged a total of 16 minutes.
Making matters worse, they haven’t been great minutes. Green had eight points in 13 minutes against the Golden State Warriors, but was clearly gunning to prove he belonged on the floor. Against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, he played a grand total of three minutes, a span in which he committed two turnovers, one flagrant foul and got beat three times defensively.
Next: No. 3