Memphis Grizzlies: 2015-16 Season Outlook

Three Key Storylines (cont.)

2. Can Jeff Green…Better?

In 45 regular season games with the Grizz, Green averaged 13.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 36.2 percent from three-point range, so “disaster” is too strong of a word to describe his time in Memphis last year. In actuality, Green shot the exact same percentage from long range in Memphis that Barnes did last season with the Clippers.

But once Green joined the mix, the Grizzlies went 29-16 (.644) to close the season. Before the trade, Memphis had gone 26-11 (.703). In the playoffs, when players are glorified or exposed, Green’s numbers dropped to 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on 33.3 percent shooting (22.2 percent from deep).

For a team that can’t afford to go cold from deep like the Grizzlies, Green’s playoff meltdown was the final nail in the coffin during that series against Golden State, when he only managed to convert an anemic two of his 11 three-pointers. The arrival of Barnes alleviates some of the pressure on Green, but it also means that the competition for minutes will be even stiffer.

Green needs to come out with a vengeance to start the 2015-16 season and prove that his shooting woes in the playoffs were a fluke and that he can fit in as sixth man. Otherwise, he could find himself eased out of the rotation…which brings us to our final question.

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