Jeff Green Poised for Significant Playoff Role With Rockets

Green scored 15 points in Sunday’s scrimmage vs. Toronto, making five of six attempts from the field.

Perhaps Jeff Green isn’t the most reliable NBA veteran, but the Georgetown product certainly isn’t lacking in skill. 

The 6’9” forward joined his ninth team when he signed with the Rockets on Feb. 17, bringing Houston significant versatility on both ends of the court. Green can space the floor and make plays off the bounce. He's not the most effective defender in the world, though he can guard both larger wings and the occasional center. Green's lack of career stability isn't an indictment on his skill. The 2020 playoffs could be a defining moment in his career.

Sunday's scrimmage against the Grizzlies was certainly encouraging from Green's standpoint. He hit his first five shots en route to 15 points, drawing rave reviews from James Harden postgame. Green's role as Houston's backup center appears more secure by the day. 

"[Green] is going to play [in the postseason], he's a heck of a basketball player," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said postgame. "He can make shots, he knows how to play."

Green has shown off his full array of skills since joining the Rockets in February. He's canned 14 of 34 three-point attempts in his time with Houston, serving as an impressive pick-and-pop option alongside Harden and Russell Westbrook. But perhaps more intriguing is Green's verve off the bounce. He's more than comfortable making plays in space, showing little hesitancy when given a lane to the tin. Green's array of offensive skills is a far cry from Houston's previous backup centers.

"I knew [Green] was more than capable of helping us," Harden said following Sunday's scrimmage. "That was one of the reasons we reached out. He's able to handle the basketball, he's able to knock down shots, he's pretty solid on defense, so he fits into what we're doing."

Any endorsement of Green's talent should come with a significant caveat. The veteran's defensive intensity has been known to ebb and flow, and he's never been a true knock-down shooter. But for a deeply unconventional Rockets team, Green's size and skill makes for a true match. The well-traveled forward could make a major impact in Orlando as the Rockets look to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.