The Memphis Grizzlies have been experimenting during the road to the Playoffs. Resting their core four. Mixing up their starting 5’s. They clearly seem confident in themselves to make a deep Playoff run. If they didn’t have the confidence they wouldn’t be doing all of this resting.
Jeff Green, who has been great for the Grizz. Has been in the starting line-up when at least one of the core four of Gasol, Randolph, Conley and Allen is sitting out. And he’s been doing similar work that he did in Boston. But Green, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal prefers to be the sixth man. You don’t see that everyday.
Green talked to Marc Gasol and Vince Carter first. Green then took his request to Joerger after the team’s road loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.
“He said he’d think about it,” Green said of Joerger’s response.
Joerger didn’t think long. He made the switch and it’s permanent as the Griz try to keep a firm grip on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
“It can be relieving mentally for him. It’s a little harder for me. I had the rotation kind of nice in a coach’s mind. I could start him at small forward, take him out and bring him back at power forward. It was a nice little dance. It’s going to take me a little while to figure out some things on this deal.”
Green sounded comforted by the decision.
“I’m going to end up playing with those guys in the starting unit anyway. But it’s good for myself because now I can be more aggressive. I don’t have to worry about getting Marc and Zach involved. By the time I get in they’ve already been involved. It’s on me to just go in be aggressive and try to score.“
I’m liking everything about that. It seems that he has completely embraced the Grizzlies and vice versa.
The acquisition of Jeff Green, in my opinion has made the Grizz into a Finals team. Green may not be the conventional 6th Man but he produces and that’s what matters.
