The Memphis Grizzlies were going through a tough stretch for their standards. Before Friday's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, they had gone 5-5 in their last 10 games. They still held on to the second seed in the West, but they were not looking as threatening as they were earlier in the year. Many believed that the problem was the insertion of Jeff Green to the starting lineup. Green surpsingly agreed and asked to be brought off the bench while Tony Allen started, according to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies went on to beat the Mavericks, with the starting lineup outscoring Dallas by 15 points.
Will the Grizzlies be better after benching Jeff Green?
Green realized that him starting wasn’t helping his team win, so he asked to come off the bench instead.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Ever since the trade that brought Green to Memphis, he's looked like an awkward fit with the starting unit. Green does the most damage close to the basket and there is no space for him to drive or post up with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in the paint. He's not a terrible defender by any means, but he doesn't come close to matching Tony Allen's impact on that end and he's not as prolific a cutter as Allen, either. As a result, the starting unit with him at small forward was outscored per 100 possessions while the one featuring Allen was among the best in the league, according to net rating.
Not many players would have had the self-awareness to understand they are better suited to come off the bench, but Green understands that it will be beneficial for both him and the team. “I’m going to end up playing with those guys in the starting unit anyway,” Green told Tillery.“ But it’s good for myself because now I can be more aggressive. I don’t have to worry about getting Marc and Zach involved. By the time I get in they’ve already been involved. It’s on me to just go in be aggressive and try to score.”
While Green has not been the upgrade at small forward many expected him to be, he still has value for Memphis. His scoring will provide the second unit with more firepower and his ability to hit corner three-pointers will come in handy if teams decide to double-team Gasol or Randolph in the postseason. More importantly, he also offers the Grizzlies an option to go small with him as power forward, something they lacked before making the trade.
As a starter, Green was hurting his team. As a sixth man, he could prove to be incredibly valuable. He deserves credit for realizing that, putting his ego aside and asking for the adjustment.
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