Jeff Green Will Excel As A Role Player With Utah Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Jeff Green is another former lottery pick that the Utah Jazz signed this offseason and has been in the NBA for a long time. He was drafted in 2007 to the Seattle Supersonics and has played for seven different franchises in his career.

Green is a player that can bring some scoring to the Utah Jazz and be a complementary and versatile asset to this team alongside Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, Jr. when it comes to scoring. For his career, Green has averaged a respectable 13.2 points per game and if he can put up just over 10 points per game with the Jazz then he will be a great addition to this team.

He is already showing off his versatility on the court during the preseason with an all-around effort.

🎥New #UtahJazz forward @unclejeffgreen from inside, from outside and on D in the preseason opener. #TakeNote #KSLSports pic.twitter.com/tRx3tzmIkR

— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_TV) October 6, 2019

While the offensive end is where Green has excelled at, he is very excited about the possibility of playing alongside the reigning defensive player of the year.

“For me, it’s the defensive side,” Green said at his introductory press conference. “Having Ed [Davis], having Rudy [Gobert], two guys that are going to be in the trenches, that are going to battle. They’re going to fight. Having bigs like that, for a guy that has to guard on the perimeter, that’s very comforting.”

The offense for the Jazz will be fine and the big question this offseason was how will these new players fill the void of Derrick Favors who was a defensive force and a great compliment to Gobert. With Davis’ optimism and excitement, he can be part of that group that co-ops the defensive presence that was previously filled by Favors.

Green Will Excel As A Complimentary Player

Green is entering his second decade in the NBA and usually that means he might be a step slower but that does not seem to be the case for the former lottery pick. KSL Sports Ben Anderson really likes how Green can still keep up with the best of the NBA and outperform others with his athleticism.

“You really like the talent he has. He still has insane athleticism even at his age at 30 years old,” Anderson said. “If you are wanting him to be one of your top-three players — which too many teams have done specifically the Orlando Magic did by paying him $13 million a year to do that — you really don’t like him. The Jazz got him for a minimum contract and as the seventh guy on the roster you start to love him a bit.

“He is kind of like Jae Crowder last year and we talked about how good Crowder was because he was making only $7 million per year. Now, you are getting a guy in Jeff Green who is making $5 million less per year and providing a lot of the same things. He is a very nice addition for the Jazz.”

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The fifth and final starting spot in the lineup is not set in stone and there is a small chance this could be Green but that last spot will come down to Joe Ingles, Royce O’Neale and maybe Green but probably not. Green will likely get into the lineup with those guys from time to time but with him not being one of the best shooters on this team that likely means he will be with the second team.

What Position Will He Play?

Green is listed at 6-foot-9 and in a traditional basketball sense that would mean playing one of the forward positions, but he is big and can handle the ball quite well. However, the Jazz are not going to be defined by what position a player plays and will field a group of five at any given moment with this team that is full of versatility players. Green fits into that spot as he will play all three of the frontcourt spots.

“He is a three through four and can play a little bit of five. Green can play all of those frontcourt positions,” Anderson said. “He is a great athlete in the open court. Even if he doesn’t have the ball in his hands he will run the floor and can catch and finish above the rim. He is a legit 6-foot-9 and a big dude.”

This type of versatility is what will make the Jazz a very dangerous team by being able to roll out a variety of lineups to take advantage of other teams and force them to match up with who Quin Snyder wants to have in his rotation. Green fits that mold by being athletic and a multi-position player who will cause mismatches to opposing teams.

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