Last night against the Utah Jazz, Gerald Green checked into the game with 6:13 left to play in the second quarter. A few months ago, there wouldn’t have been anything special about it, other than the fact that Green probably would’ve already been in the game by that point.
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But after playing inconsistent minutes for more than two months, Green entering a ball game for the Phoenix Suns has become noteworthy almost each and every time. And by listening to the reaction of the US Airways Center crowd, his status as a fan favorite is still alive and well.
Late in January, Green registered his first “DNP – CD” of his tenure with the Phoenix Suns. It was a perplexing move at the time, though over the last few months it’s been justified by head coach Jeff Hornacek finding more minutes for youngsters Archie Goodwin and T.J. Warren.
But on nights like last night, where Green enters the game to a loud ovation from the home crowd and proceeds to singlehandedly smite Phoenix’s opponent with a mighty heat check, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic about his breakout 2013-14 season.
Last year, Phoenix fell one game short of the postseason, but games like his 41-point flamethrower against the Oklahoma City Thunder were undeniably magnificent.
Green joined Goran Dragic as one of a few candidates for the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award in that surprise of a season. Dragic ended up winning the award, but many believed Green’s first real season of promise was more deserving.
Whatever the case, his microwave act off the bench — and even in the starting rotation when Eric Bledsoe went down — was not only entertaining, but it also helped the Suns win 48 games in the brutal West. All of this endeared him to Suns fans at the time.
Next: About Last Night
But perhaps “at the time” is inaccurate. If anything, last night’s ovation confirmed that this guy’s 2013-14 season will make him beloved by Suns fans no matter what happens this summer. And that made his 24-point, 10-for-17 outburst against the Jazz that much sweeter, since performances like this could be fleeting for Phoenix’s four-fingered, unrestricted free agent.
Last night, Hornacek turned to Green in a desperate search for someone who can make shots, as he has quite a few times in the last few weeks. The Suns’ offense has died a miserable, fiery death since the NBA trade deadline and subsequent roster shakeup, giving Green an opportunity despite more minutes heading Goodwin and Warren’s way.
He hasn’t always made the most of those opportunities; oftentimes he’s made glaring mistakes on the defensive end and on offense, passing the ball to the Green Machine means you’d better be ready to crash the boards, because there’s a 99 percent chance that ball’s going up.
Gerald Green had a 42.3 usage rate tonight. He had a 67.6 eFG%, so that's how a guy scores 24 points in 22 minutes.
— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) April 5, 2015
But on the nights like last night where Green catches fire, Suns fans can’t help but think back on his remarkable 2013-14 season and wonder how it all went downhill so fast. It’s tempting to root for Green in spite of his shoot-first, shoot-again, shoot-a-couple-more-times-and-then-never-ask-questions mentality. It’s nice to see someone on the roster show consistent emotion, heart and attitude.
It’s almost enough to make you wonder if there’s anyway the Gerald Green and the Suns could repair their relationship and extend their union with a new contract this summer.
Because right now, Green is playing the exact veteran role the Suns need on this young roster.
Next: Green's Role
It’s not like this team has no use for him. Green’s playing style isn’t the easiest to swallow for fans, coaches and teammates alike, but through it all, those people usually have nothing but positive things to say about him.
“He caught fire, he helped us win the game,” Brandan Wright said. “He was a big part of what we needed to do to win.”
“Gerald. Gerald came in and do what Gerald do,” Eric Bledsoe added. “He made unbelievable shots and he just got us going. Got us pumped up.”
That shot-making ability off the bench is something the Suns have sorely lacked lately…you know, ever since Green started getting benched and Isaiah Thomas was traded away.
Defensively, Green can be a train wreck at times. On the offensive end, Green can be just as bad, especially when he’s trying to prove to Hornacek he belongs on the floor by jacking up a shot every time he gets the ball. But one play stood out last night that displayed what his role on this team could be — and, to everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t a shot.
With Green already in the zone and the Jazz desperately time to put out the flames with smothering double-teams, Green pump faked his man into the air and took a step toward the basket. He had an open elbow jumper, but instead found P.J. Tucker open in the corner. Tucker drilled the three, giving Green his only assist of the night.
“Yeah, with Gerald you never know what’s going to happen, you just got to be ready,” Tucker said. “You don’t know if he’s going to pass it, if he’s going to shoot it. So, I was happy he passed it because I was pretty open.”
Green, recognizing that the defense was going to double him and overplay his shot, made a smart basketball play and found a teammate, who rewarded him for his trust. Green found two other open shooters on different plays, but they both missed their shots.
This doesn’t seem like much, but isn’t smart playmaking late in the middle of a close game something the young guys can learn from? It’s easier to learn by actually being on the floor, and yes, it was a meaningless game, but considering Green’s professionalism through this whole ordeal, his ability to come in and perform was the kind of exemplary play the Suns would want from a veteran addition to the roster.
Next: A Look At The Roster
Green has been the first guy off the bench to congratulate teammates who have directly been stealing his minutes. He’s never opened his mouth once to complain. Perhaps it’s because he’s a free agent this summer, but Green has been the perennial teammate through it all, and his head coach has noticed.
“Every guy on the team should be that way, they’re getting paid millions of dollars,” Jeff Hornacek said. “We expect all these guys to be ready. You never know when they’re going to get the spark.”
Unfortunately, Hornacek may have hit the nail on the head as to why Green might not be around after this season: getting paid millions of dollars to be a glorified benchwarmer/towel-waver doesn’t compare to getting paid millions of dollars to play a bigger role elsewhere.
At this point, it feels highly unlikely that Green stays in Phoenix for that very reason. His recent heat checks have given the fans something to cheer about, especially since it’s hard to cheer about the youngsters’ flashes of potential with the team struggling to reach 90 points every night.
But those heat checks have come in meaningless games, and the overwhelming air surrounding Phoenix’s 2014-15 season is suffocatingly thick with disappointment.
The only ray of light shining through that depressing smog is this roster’s youth. Unfortunately for the 29-year-old Green, he doesn’t quite fit in with that young vibe, especially since most of Phoenix’s youth comes at his position.
Brandon Knight (23) figures to be Eric Bledsoe’s backcourt mate for years to come if the Suns can navigate through restricted free agency this summer. Knight will probably command anywhere $10-14 million annually with his new contract.
Reggie Bullock (24) is a young 3-and-D prospect who also plays the shooting guard position. Archie Goodwin (20) is Phoenix’s shooting guard of the future, an extremely young talent who could be molded into something special.
Even P.J. Tucker (signed to an extension last summer) and T.J. Warren (21) can log minutes at the two depending on Phoenix’s lineup. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for Green, a veteran who carries himself like he believes he’s a starting two-guard in this league.
Next: Green's Future
The Suns will be committing the majority of their cap space this summer to re-signing Knight and the front office has to be aware that this team is still one star player away from taking the next step. If adding a summer star is impossible, the Suns would be wise to turn their attention to adding veterans who can help the young guys develop.
Is Green willing to take on that role? His future with the Suns could depend on it, provided he even wants to stay in Phoenix given the volatile nature of his last few months here.
There’s always the possibility the Suns have hurt his market value by playing him so infrequently over the last few weeks. After the 2013-14 season, Green seemed heading for a nice pay day upon reaching free agency. Now it doesn’t seem impossible that the Suns could re-sign him for around $3-4 million annually.
That’s not a huge price to pay, especially with the NBA’s salary cap set to explode soon. But the Suns also might be better off spending that cap space elsewhere if Green really is ready for a larger role on a new team.
Nights like last night make nostalgia the easy path, and watching Green drill an ill-advised corner three, gesture to the crowd, nod his head up and down and yell unknown things to himself like a crazy person is NBA cinema (“I have no idea one word that comes out of his mouth,” Tucker says of Green’s in-the-zone moments. “I don’t even try anymore.”).
But unless he’s willing to take a small amount of money to play a similarly frustrating, “veteran” role of “be ready for the rare occasions we need you,” Gerald Green’s recent heat check may be one of his last for the Phoenix Suns.
Next: Phoenix Suns: How Their Defense Improved And Their Offense Died