The guess here is that newly arrived 21-year-old Gerald Green will soon be known as the best athlete ever to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6-foot-8, 200- pound Green was provided that label by a basketball expert who didn’t want his name used. There may soon be a long line of people willing to give Green the designation.
Green was born during halftime of the 1986 Super Bowl and perhaps that was an omen regarding his athleticism. His jumping and running ability have been attracting attention since high school. He didn’t even play high school basketball until he was a junior but by his senior season some experts thought he was the best player in America. After averaging 33 points as a senior in Houston, Green played in the McDonald’s High School All-Star game and won the slam dunk contest.
In two NBA seasons with Boston, Green hasn’t yet been another Tracy McGrady, an athletic super star to whom he has been compared. But Green has dazzled with his athleticism, winning the NBA 2007 slam dunk contest and having his dunks shown on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Of course, former Timberwolf J.R. Rider won an NBA slam dunk contest, too, and few in these parts want to remember Rider for his athleticism or anything else. Green, though, seems more determined to succeed than Rider and he told Sports Headliners that he’s working to improve his game. Known for his flash and scoring ability, Green has been labeled as a player who needs to become better defensively.
“I want to be a defensive stopper,” Green said. “That’s one of the things I want to do. I think all the great players, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, those guys play tremendous defense. …”
Was Green a below average defensive player in Boston before being traded to Minnesota earlier this summer? “I don’t think so,” he said. “I think I have a little bit of work to do. That’s the one thing I am working every day on in the summer time, working on defense. …”
How effective of a scorer can he be with the Wolves? “Well, we’ll have to see,” he said. “I averaged 10 .4 points last year. I have gotten better in my mid-range (shot) and my ball handling has gotten a lot better but it still needs to be worked on. That’s one of the things we’ll have to wait until the season starts to find out.”
Green considers himself more of a shooting guard than a small forward but is comfortable with either position. With several players on the roster able to play those positions, including No. 1 draft choice Corey Brewer and leading returning scorer Ricky Davis, Green will have lots of competition for playing time.
Coach Randy Wittman told Sports Headliners he isn’t locking any players, including guard Randy Foye and forward Al Jefferson, both potential stars, into starting positions just yet. “They all have jobs,” Wittman said “What that job is, they’re going to determine to me. “
With Green, the coach will know he has an athlete but he will have to learn whether he has a basketball player.