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[CelticConcourse]

I'm legitimately hopeful, like I tweeted today, that Jeff Green will be the player I know he can be: a top 5 SF in the league.

Think about it: LeBron and Durant will probably be undisputed best SFs.

Then, Melo is the next tier.

After that? Some names come to mind: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Nic Batum....

And Jeff Green. In the times I watch Celtic basketball, I absolutely love watching Green play. He inspires me sooo soooo much with his return and every time he posts up and makes that beautiful hook-shot, I smile. When he splashes home a three, I think of all the great things he could do.

I know I seem like I'm just making excuses by blaming his surgery... But he will get better. Much better. I'm talking about Carmelo Anthony in his prime, better. The same Melo who is one of the better SFs to ever play this game we love.

He shows flashes of brilliance with his offensive post game, his range and form are not bad at all. He has the bulk to be a decent post-defender, which even Melo isn't, and is already an above average face-up defender.

His dunks and close-range game remind me of a refined Blake Griffin, and his court awareness is just below Rondo, though it appears to be aloofness. He's hit his share of game-winners in his career and can come up big.

He definitely has the potential to be something special in this league even after the tragedy he faced and at worst, he can be an All-Star. All he needs is refinement, and.... Consistency,

Do NOT trade this kid. He will dominate.

/rant

Comparing others players with Green in two years:

LeBron: Yes
Durant: Yes
Carmelo: Very Likely
George: Possible
Batum: Possible
Kidd-Gilchrist: Possible
Gay: Unlikely
Deng: Unlikely
Pierce: Unlikely
Turner: Unlikely
Parsons: Surely not
Prince: No
World Peace: No
Granger: No
Gallinari: No
Chandler: No
Kirilenko: No

[LarBrd33]

He's the 4th best player on our team, but he's backing up the captain.  He doesn't deserve the negativity he's going to get later in this thread.  I think he'll definitely be a top 10 SF in this league.  Not sure about top 5, though.  I think he can peak out as a fringe allstar... on the right (lottery) team he can average close to 20 points... but probably will never make an allstar appearance.  Good solid starter-caliber player and nothing more.

[WeMadeIt17]

IDK just doesn't seem aggresive enough for me. I would love for Jeff to just be a solid 15ppg guy. I am afraid that won't happen though.

[jbaerg]

Love the guy to death. But I consider Granger and Deng Better than him as well. We'll see if he continues his comeback and improves. Definitely hasn't shown me anything to be super hopeful yet.

[Roy H.]

Nothing in Green's career justifies your optimism. He's a 15 points per 36 minutes guy on mediocre efficiency. That's who he is.

[vinnie]

I really wish someone could tell me how a guy who has NEVER been consistent in 6 years in this league is gong to be a top 5 or top 10 small forward. If he was that good he would be getting playing time. He isn't so he doesn't.  I think this is nonsense.

[CelticConcourse]

Granger and Deng will be weaker in two years.

What you mistake for his un aggressiveness is his ability to scan the court... He's probably the second best at court vision next to Rondo... Maybe Garnett. He can post up decently, but I think he doesn't even recognize his own strength.

He's gonna be more than a 15ppg scorer...he just hasn't realized himself.

[PhoSita]

Jeff Green will have exceeded REASONABLE expectations if he is anything more than an average starting-caliber SF in term of productivity, defense, and efficiency.

Just don't get why some people still think he's going to someday be a borderline All-Star (top 5 at his position).

[Change]

I hope so. Green hasn't even gotten a start this year. So its way to early to make a judgement on Jeff Green. Celtics clearly saw something in him pulling off Perk trade, and giving him that contract this year.

[CelticConcourse]

Jeff Green is definitely a starter... He would be I we didn't possess the fourth best SF in the league.

Because of this, he's forced to play unnaturally at the PF or not at all.

Plus, who else can rouse the team with two monster dunks a game?

His threes are ok, and force opponents to respect his range.

His post up game is above average and that jump hook is NASTY.

He can be a 20ppg scorer and allstar, if not more.

[nickagneta]

Green is what he is. He is putting up the exact same per minute stats now, while playing a reduced role that he played in OKC as a big minute starter.

He's not a good rebounder for his size and athleticism. He is an average shooter at best. His defense in one on one is good but he isn't a good team defender.

As I said, he is what he is. A solid role playing SF. Probably a decent role playing bench player on a good team or a decent starter on a bad team. Either way, I don't think you would see per minute differences based on situation.

He plays his way and that's it. That means some days he feels aggressive and will play like a top 5 SF in this league. Other days he doesn't feel aggressive and will do virtually nothing on the court and will completely disappear from the game and the box score.

He's been doing this since Georgetown. He isn't going to change.

If he was signed to a 4 year $14 million contract, I would be happy with him in his role and what he gives the team. But his salary is ridiculous and so measuring what he brings versus what he gets paid fosters some hostility in fans, which I think is understandable.

[action781]

Rudy Gay, Evan Turner, MKG, Harrison Barnes...

I'd bet $100 to win $10 that Jeff Green is not the best player of that group in 2 years from now.

[jbaerg]

Don't forget to throw Gallo and Chandler in there as well. They're both very young.

[soap07]

So....he's going to go from a mediocre inefficient wing that wouldn't start on most teams in his first six years in the league....to a top 5 SF by his 8th?

[Boris Badenov]

Holding out hope for Jeff Green to improve is pure fantasy.

Throughout his entire career Green has actually been one of the most consistent, and consistently mediocre, players you can possibly imagine. I won't show the numbers here, but go look for yourself at his per-36 averages.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/greenje02.html

He has been EXACTLY THE SAME PLAYER NOW FOR FIVE YEARS. Pick your metric: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, advanced metrics - you name it. If anything his performance has been a little worse this year, which makes the prospect that he is getting better just even less justified.

Wanting him to change as a player is, in my opinion, just foolish. He's doing exactly what he's always done on the court.

To hold out hope that he will change, ever, is a view with no basis in reality.