Hoops Habit
Fansided

Miami Heat: Has Gerald Green Found His Perfect Role?

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Miami Heat guard Gerald Green (14) dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Miami Heat guard Gerald Green (14) dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

On paper, the Miami Heat have one of the best starting fives in the Eastern Conference. Goran Dragic is only one season removed from a Third Team All-NBA season, and his speedy playing style is a much-needed injection of pace for a Heat team that desperately needed to push the tempo a little more last year.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: The NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time

Dwayne Wade is back and when healthy, he’s good for something like 20-4-4 on a nightly basis. Luol Deng should be more comfortable with his 3-and-D role this season, Chris Bosh has recovered and Hassan Whiteside will look to repeat the success he enjoyed in his breakout half-season.

But if the Heat are going to challenge the vice grip that the Cleveland Cavaliers have on the Eastern Conference crown, it might wind up being someone NOT in the starting five who makes the difference…and his name is Gerald Green.

Over the course of Pat Riley‘s impressive offseason, Gerald Green was something of an afterthought. He was signed to a one-year contract worth the veteran minimum, and other than reuniting with Goran Dragic, there wasn’t much more to get excited about since Green was coming off a down year with the Phoenix Suns.

More from Miami Heat

In 2013-14, Green was a bonafide Most Improved Player of the Year candidate, having one of the best seasons of his career. He averaged 15.8 points in 28.4 minutes per game, shot 40 percent from three-point range and if it weren’t for him starting 48 games to fill in for an injured Eric Bledsoe, he would’ve been a top Sixth Man of the Year candidate as well.

But last season with the Suns, Green was eventually phased out of the rotation as his shooting slumped, his defensive flaws couldn’t be ignored and his head coach lost confidence in him. His numbers dropped and he registered eight “DNP-CD”s in the season’s final weeks before earning minutes again in garbage time with Phoenix being severely shorthanded.

Expectations weren’t high heading into Green’s first year in Miami. But the same could be said of the expectations heading into his first season in Phoenix, where he quickly solidified himself as a fan favorite. From his very first preseason game in a Heat jersey, Green took immediate steps toward doing the exact same thing in South Beach.

In his eight exhibition games, Green was one of the brightest stars of the preseason for ANY team, averaging 17.8 points and 4.4 assists in just 21.8 minutes per game. He shot 48 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from three-point range (on 4.5 attempts per game) and came off the bench in every single contest.

Oh, and he continued to do what he’s become known for: throwing down electrifying, rim rocking dunks.

But even though the high flying dunks generate the most YouTube views, that’s never been all that Green brings to the table. Though he struggled converting from three-point range early on his career, Green has developed into something of a 3-and-D player (with the “D” standing for “dunk” rather than “defense”).

With his microwave mentality and complete lack of a conscience when it comes to shot selection, the Green Machine is best suited for a sixth man role on any team that doesn’t mind letting him be himself. That’s how he thrived in Phoenix until head coach Jeff Hornacek came down on him for his shot selection and defensive flaws, and it’s the only way he’ll thrive in Miami.

So far, head coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t put any restrictions on Green’s game, and he’s been fully rewarded for it. Green is one of the best dunkers in the league, but he’s also in a league of his own when it comes to tip-toeing the three-point line in tight quarters and still finding a way to drain shots — the kinds of ill-advised shots that only someone like Stephen Curry has the green light to shoot.

Having a player like Gerald Green as your go-to guy off the bench obviously comes with some caveats. There’s a reason Green is now playing for his eighth team in 10 seasons, after all. In addition to his lack of defensive principles, especially with help-side defense, Green’s quick trigger finger often leads to some truly bad shots.

For Heat fans who have never watched Green extensively, they will soon discover he’s never seen a semi-open shot he didn’t like.

When those ill-advised shots go in, Green is a marvel that makes the NBA a joy to watch; when they don’t, it’s sometimes hard for a coach to resist the urge to pull him. You remember that old adage, “You live by the three, you die by the three”? That saying seems ancient now, but “You live by the Green, you die by the Green” will never stop being relevant.

There are nights when the Heat will be able to ride Green’s hot hand to victory. There will be other nights when Spoelstra gives Green too much leeway and he shoots Miami right out of games. But in order to enjoy what Gerald Green brings to the table, you have to take the good with the bad.

For every unbelievable off-balance three he makes, he’ll brick another. For every highlight dunk he throws down, he’ll miss an assignment on defense. And for every celebratory hand gesture he throws up after a big play, he’ll “cross the line” and get fined in the process.

Throughout his career, the Four-Fingered Assassin has thrived in situations where he’s been given free rein to do what he does best. It’s not always pretty, since the Gerald Green experience often comes with a lot of eye rolling, head shaking and sometimes incredulous laughter.

But Green is a supremely confident player, and when there are no restrictions placed on him, he’s free to play his frustratingly lovable brand of street ball that makes him one of the most enjoyable heat checks in the league. The Miami Heat have an excellent starting five on paper, but with an unleashed Gerald Green coming off the bench, they could become truly dangerous.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Opening Week

More from Hoops Habit

Home/Miami Heat