Charlotte Hornets: Deal For Gerald Green?
Charlotte Hornets: Deal For Gerald Green?
The Charlotte Hornets have been hot lately, but they have also had a run of luck regarding the schedule and the teams they are playing. They caught the Washington Wizards when John Wall was less than 100%, and the team was scuffling.
The Hornets visited the Denver Nuggets right in the middle of an organizational implosion. They played the New York Knicks, who do not need any kind of crisis to play terribly. Basically, the Hornets have been both good and lucky during their recent run.
However, if they expect to continue to climb in the standings, they will need to either see offensive growth from the players currently on the roster, or make a deal to acquire some scoring punch. Right now, even with Al Jefferson back and playing well, the team has trouble making baskets when it matters.
There are no great playmakers on the roster, and Big Al is the only player who commands a double team. Guys cannot penetrate the defense, especially on a team where the outside shooting is so poor that opposing defenses simply pack the paint and wait for the rebound.
It is possible that Lance Stephenson regains the form he had with the Indiana Pacers and starts knocking down some shots. Maybe Gary Neal builds on his most recent good shooting performance and becomes the floor spacer that Charlotte desperately needs. Perhaps Brian Roberts makes a leap from borderline rotation player to solid NBA starter.
Any of those are possibilities, but with the NBA trade deadline only a couple of weeks away, can the Hornets afford to wait?
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Lets Make A Deal
There has been plenty of speculation about who the Hornets could be targeting. There are those persistent rumors of a Brooklyn Nets trade involving Joe Johnson. There has been wide speculation that Charlotte wants to move the disappointing Lance Stephenson. And do not forget the talk about acquiring a back-up point guard after Kemba Walker had knee surgery.
Still, nothing has materialized as of yet. The Hornets have played better, but that has been almost entirely on the defensive end of the floor. This team, and especially its bench unit, makes getting the ball into the basket seem like an epic adventure. A small move to get one of the “irrational confidence” bench scorers who can light up a team for 15 points in a quarter is long overdue.
There are several of those guys available on the trade market, but one guy that seemingly came on the market just recently has caught my attention: Gerald Green of the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns have recently sat Green on the bench as their three point guard line-up has flourished. If you do not know much about Gerald Green, our partners on the FanSided site, ValleyOfTheSuns, have you covered with their reasons to keep, and trade, Green. Suns coach Jeff Hornacek has decided that he is building for the future, and not just for the present, and is trying to install a championship caliber culture in Phoenix.
Green, of course, has not always been a coaches’ favorite player. He is irrational, launching crazy off the dribble three pointers with reckless abandon. However, when his shooting stroke is on target, he can win a game by himself.
Green has hit over 37% of his threes this year, and last year he hit 40%. And he loves to shoot. So far this year, Green has taken 267 three point attempts. Put that in perspective: No Hornet other than the injured Kemba Walker, has taken over 140 three point attempts this season.
No one currently on the Hornets bench has anything close to the scoring acumen that Green would provide. This season, coming off the bench for the Suns, Green has scored 28 points against the Brooklyn Nets in only 26 minutes. Against the Miami Heat, he scored 19 points in just 21 minutes.
He is a fireplug who can go into a game and immediately spark a run. Exactly the kind of high variance player a defensive minded team like the Hornets could use to their advantage.
Think about it. The Hornets are down 10 late in the third quarter, the offense is sputtering. In comes Green, who immediately hits back to back three pointers. The lead is down to 4, with the crowd going crazy as the quarter comes to a close.
Every good team needs one of those crazy and irrational, yet lovable players that can come off the bench and score. The Suns have plenty of those guys. The Hornets have none. So would not a trade make sense here?
This is a low risk play that the Hornets should at least look into. Green is seemingly on his way out. Charlotte need another shooter and playmaker. Get on the phone, Rich Cho, and make this happen.