NBA Free Agency: Would Gerald Green fit in OKC?

When talking about Gerald Green, it’s hard not to think about the insane vertical leap he once had. Green has been a journeyman since day one, bouncing around the league from year to year, but his dunking ability was elite. Now after more than a decade in the league, he relies more heavily on his shooting ability.

Strengths:

Oklahoma City hasn’t seen a true sixth man since James Harden. Sam Presti has brought in several shooting specialists throughout the years, but finding someone to create their own shot has been a challenge. Enter Gerald Green.

In his 41 games played with Houston last year, Green nearly doubled his scoring average from a year ago to 12.1 points on 40 percent shooting. He played a healthy 22.7 minutes per game with an offensive rating in the top 100 at 106.4. And although he’s not thought to be among the best 3-point shooters in the league, he shot a respectable 36 percent from behind the arc.

All of this adds up to a good scorer off the bench which OKC desperately needs. Green wouldn’t likely get votes for sixth man of the year or most improved player, but he wouldn’t need to in order to earn his worth. If we’re being honest, the only way to go for the Thunder bench is up.

Weaknesses:

One of the biggest differences between a good player and a great player in the NBA is consistency. At the highest level, anyone is capable of catching fire on any given night. The real question is, however, how likely is it to happen again?

In the comparison above, Green is a good player. His scoring comes and goes on a regular basis, so it’s best not to lean on him every night. Taking a look at last year, Green’s double-digit scoring games were come-and-go. Specifically in the Rockets’ first-round playoff series against Minnesota, Green scored four points in game one. He followed it up with 21 points in game two and 10 points in game three, but failed to score in double figures again for the remainder of the playoffs.

Of course Green’s playing time dwindled as the playoffs went on, but it sums up who is as a player.