New Orleans Pelicans: Could Gerald Green make sense after Solomon Hill’s injury?

Could Gerald Green be an option for the New Orleans Pelicans after Solomon Hill’s surgery last month?

The New Orleans Pelicans were making signings and revamping their roster for another renewed playoff push this upcoming season.

They signed Rajon Rondo to a one-year deal and stole Ian Clark from the defending world champions, but the hamstring injury that Solomon Hill suffered and he subsequent surgery he went through at the end of August was a setback the Pelicans never envisioned.

Now they face a huge dilemma.

Based on their depth chart, only Darius Miller and Jalen Jones are the only small forwards available for the New Orleans Pelicans.  The problem is, they barely played last season. It’s hard to envision a scenario where they’ll be getting the starting spot and make an immediate impact this season.

Also, talks with other free agents, like Josh Smith, Chase Budinger and Martell Webster aren’t making much news lately.

So what options do they have?

One option the Pelicans could look at is going after Gerald Green on the open market.

Many people wouldn’t think twice and look at a player of that caliber as a replacement for their starting small forward.  But the Pelicans should look at it as a temporary fix while they look for a long-term solution.

Gerald Green averaged 5.6 points and1.8 rebounds off the bench for the Boston Celtics last season. He’s a swingman who still has the athleticism to cut to the basket and can guard both shooting guards and small forwards.

The main key that he can bring to the New Orleans Pelicans is his outside shooting. Last season he shot 35.1 percent from downtown.  Now compare those stats with Solomon Hill, who averaged 7.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on 34.8 percent shooting from long range.

Similar stat lines, in two different scenarios

This is the head-scratcher when comparing those stats: Solomon Hill was a starter who averaged 29.7 minutes per game. As for Gerald Green, he averaged 11.4 minutes per game, off the bench.

But both men were in two completely different situations. Solomon Hill wasn’t featured in the Pelicans’ offense. His usage rate last season was an abysmal 11.5 percent.

Hill was supposed be used on defensive assignments and spot up for open shots. He never took advantage of those opportunities based on his overalls stats. 

What about Gerald Green?   

As for Gerald Green, his usage rate was 22.9 percent coming off the bench for the Celtics. If he can be looked at as a temporary replacement on the starting unit, he’d play a key role the Pelicans’ offense.

It’s safe to assume that Green would do a better job shooting 3-pointers and making cuts to the basket than Solomon Hill ever did last season. Gerald Green has always risen to the occasion as a starter over the years, including when he was with the Phoenix Suns.

Instead of getting passes from Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, he’ll have Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo feeding him open jumpers.

Playing off of the best power forward and center in the league could raise his scoring to what it was years ago when he dropped 15.8 points for the Suns back in the 2013-14 season.

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The 31-year-old still has a lot left in the tank as both a starter and as a role player. The question is, will the Pelicans give him a look before the season starts?