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Matt Geagan is a sports producer at WBZ-TV… which means he’s not just into basketball. You can email him at MattyG@RedsArmy.com |
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What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas. That includes a poor summer league performance. Gerald Green was in his third go around on the summer scene, and was less than decent. Add that to a somewhat disappointing sophomore season, and some people are starting to think Gerald is a bust. That he won’t amount to the prominent scorer people once thought he would be. Well I say, let’s give him a chance. Let’s remember he is still just a kid. He may have two NBA years under his belt, but 21 is hardly grown up. For most stars there are some growing pains, and Gerald is just in the middle of them. Judging by passed stars, this could be Green’s year to shine. Here’s what is known about Gerald Green. He can dunk the ball. Here’s exhibit A. Exhibit B (the announcer’s reaction is priceless). And Exhibit C. He can dunk the ball better than (and over) most people in the league. His jump shot is not bad for a 21 year old that didn’t go to college. His shot was surprising his rookie year. It was supposed to be a nice upgrade his second year. Instead it was inconsistent, even frustrating at times. His defense has been even worse. There have been times when he had his moments, but they were just moments. Green has never really put a stretch of dominance together. Gerald has been a lot of fun to watch, but he hasn’t been a star. Not being a star shouldn’t be a problem. This will only be his third year. He is one of the last few guys to come directly out of high school. Last year was only his second season of professional basketball and first complete one. Gerald sat on the bench so much his rookie season, he was sent to the NBDL in order to see the floor. At least his jersey said Patriots on the front and not Flame, Dazzle or Rimrockers. When he played his rookie season, he opened some eyes. But then came Tankfest 2007. Nearly everyone got hurt, giving Gerald more playing time. But how much progress can we expect someone to make when the team is trying to lose? Gerald hasn’t been in the best of situations since he came into the league, and his teams have lost. A lot. It probably hasn’t helped that his name came up in nearly every other trade rumor that involved the Celtics. At least that’s a sign his stock is still high around the league, and other teams have faith he can become something. Two years ago Green was projected to be a top three pick and called the next Tracy McGrady. Gerald is still young and learning how to play with the best in the world. Most of those guys didn’t become stars until their fourth or fifth year. Just look at Tracy McGrady and Carmello Anthony, who both increased their scoring dramatically in their third and fourth seasons. Not to mention Gerald’s own teammate Al Jefferson, who broke out in his third season. With the addition of another solid veteran like Ray Allen, Gerald can take his time to develop. He can come off the bench , and although he won’t have big minutes, he won’t have a lot of pressure to become “The Next Who-Ever.” The funny thing is, look at the difference between Gerald, and his teammate Ryan Gomes. Gomes was taken in the same draft, 50th overall. Once he got playing time his rookie year, he started to put up good numbers and earned a spot as a starter. Gomes also went to Providence for four years, and didn’t need the seasoning time that Gerald needs. Maybe a year or two at OK State wouldn’t have been so bad for him, much like a year of college would have helped guys like Kwame Brown, Darius Miles and even Sebastian Telfair. Could Gerald’s name end up in the same group as High School fizzles? Maybe, but he has a better chance to shine. So there are worries after an atrocious Summer League (where Gerald shot just 30% from the field and 15% from behind the arc), as there should be. But maybe third years the charm. Let’s give the kid a chance to grow, and then if he doesn’t we can call him a bust. We know he can dunk. Let’s see if he can take it to the next level now. |
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Be Patient With Gerald |