Jeff Green Gives Grizzlies Fourth Option

Jeff Green has only been with the Memphis Grizzlies for a total of three games now, but he is already showing what he can add to an already stacked team. In just his second game since being acquired by the Grizzlies, Green led the team in scoring with 21 points in 31 minutes off of the bench in a win over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

The Grizzlies enter Sunday with the fourth-best record in the Western Conference at 29-11 and are coming off of a big win against the Portland Trail Blazers. With proven players in Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley already making up the team’s core, the Grizzlies recognized that adding a player like Green could be the final piece that puts them over the top in the competitive West.

“Adding a guy like Jeff just gives us that much more versatility because what he could do for us,” Conley told Basketball Insiders. “He can start, he can come off of the bench, he can play the three, he could play the four, he’s athletic – a lot of things that we had been looking for in a player and he fills that void. I think it’ll be a lot easier on him to have to play with guys like Marc and myself and Zach, who can also make plays for him and make the game a little bit easier. I think he’s huge for us.”

Memphis acquired Green from the Boston Celtics last week in a three-team, five-player trade. The Grizzlies sent Tayshaun Prince to the Celtics and Quincy Pondexter to the New Orleans Pelicans. In addition, they will also send a future protected first-round pick to the Celtics and a second-round pick to the Pelicans. The Grizzlies seemed ready to move on from an aging Prince in favor of the younger Green.

It seemed inevitable that the Celtics would trade Green at some point this season. Green holds a player option of $9,200,000 for next season and seemed highly unlikely to return to Boston since the team is clearly rebuilding. Despite the rumors surrounding Green, he still performed at a high level and was having his best statistical season of his career. Through 33 games for the Celtics, Green was averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game while also contributing 4.3 rebounds.

VIDEO: Courtney Lee talks about the addition of Jeff Green

“You know I’m trying to win something too,” Green said, when asked about playing for a contender. “It’s just great to be a part of a team like this, guys who are going to play together, guys who are going to fight till the end and fight for each other. I’m just coming in trying to play my game; they were already a championship team before I got here. I look at it as a chance for me to come in and add my skill set to what they already have so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Adding Green to the Grizzlies will give the team a fourth option that can either start or come off of the bench. During his time with the Celtics, Green was often relied on to carry the team, but in Memphis he’ll be a complementary player and not the main option. Green will provide the Grizzlies with another wing player and another shooter on the floor. The Grizzlies are currently 28th in the league in three-point field goals made and 27th in attempts. As the fourth option, Green can come in and just play his game without the added pressure of being the focal point.

“Normally when you get traded, you go into a situation and you’re trying not to step on people’s toes; you want to go in and be passive and you’re not looking for your shot, but [Coach] wanted me to come in and be aggressive and continue to play the way I was playing in Boston,” Green said. “That shows me that he was watching me in Boston and that he has confidence that I’ll make the right plays. So it felt great to come into that situation.”

Much has been made this season about how competitive the Western Conference is compared to the East. Through Saturday’s games, all eight teams in the playoff race in the West are separated by 10 games while the distance between the one and eight seeds in the East is 16 games. If the playoffs started today, the Grizzlies would be matched up against the Los Angeles Clippers, but the two are separated by just two and a half games. Teams in the East have enough cushion to go through a cold streak, but a long losing streak in the West could be the difference between home-court advantage or falling out of the playoff race completely. The Grizzlies started to lose ground during a stretch from Dec.19-Jan. 9 in which they lost seven of 11, but are winners of four straight and seem more formidable than ever now that Green is on board.

VIDEO: Zach Randolph discusses Jeff Green’s arrival as well

“I think that kind of addition gives us that boost to that next level and we just got to play together,” Conley said. “We could have everyone on paper but we got to find a way to put it all together and get him acclimated as soon as possible. At the beginning of the year, we felt like we had a chance just with the unit that we had going into training camp. And then you add pieces like Jeff to the mix and with our great start, we have a chance of being there at the end of June playing for a title.”