Jeff Green went off for 30 points and emerged as a legitimate offensive weapon in the Memphis Grizzlies’ win over the Orlando Magic.
What a night it was for Jeff Green and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The game was tight and ultimately went into overtime but the Grizzlies managed to prevail over the Orlando Magic 108-102 on Monday thanks in no small part to Green’s big-time performance.
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Green scored 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field in 31 minutes of action off the bench. Green had started for Memphis of late in coach Dave Joerger’s smaller lineups but Zach Randolph replaced him and performed well in his role scoring 18 points off an efficient 8-of-16 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds including two key boards late in overtime to help the Grizzlies secure the win.
But it was Green’s night as he proved he’s a legitimate offensive weapon for Memphis in the second half of the NBA season. He scored from all areas of the floor including behind the arc (2-of-6 on three-point attempts) and from the charity stripe (6-of-8 on free throws). Green’s array of pull-ups and floaters in the lane combined with his accuracy from outside was ultimately too great of a package for Orlando to contain in this matchup.
There were rumors a few weeks ago regarding the speculation that Green could be headed to another team at the trade deadline and that could still be the case. However, as an observer of this contest I would caution that approach considering the offensive showcase he had on display.
Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have struggled as consistent options scoring the basketball and Randolph’s minutes require monitoring moving forward given his age and lack of athleticism, especially if the Grizzlies want to keep pushing the ball down the court in transition. Memphis needs a scorer like Green to give the offense a boost when its core starters aren’t living up to expectations.
Sitting at 26-20 the Grizzlies still have a lot of work to do if they’re going to emerge as true contenders in the Western Conference. Their next game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday should help propel Memphis into another win streak to build momentum heading into All-Star Weekend.
Green isn’t the perfect wing player, but he has plenty of talent and helps the Grizzlies in the team’s greatest area of weakness. If I were in the Memphis front office I would carefully evaluate his level of play moving forward and absolutely make sure the decision I choose whether to trade or keep him is the right one.