Mavs Preseason Profile: Will Josh Green's Hard Work Finally Pay Off?
As the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait ... and that might be the case with the Dallas Mavericks and third-year shooting guard Josh Green this season.
Green didn't get much of a real opportunity during his rookie season under former Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle, but he got a lot more playing time and was allowed more margin for error in his second season when Jason Kidd took over. Now, after spending an entire offseason focusing on refining his shot form and ball-handling, Green is looking to have a breakout season during the 2022-23 campaign. He's off to a great start, as he's impressed coaches, his teammates and the fan base during training camp.
“Josh’s work is paying off. I think if you ask him, his summer was big, he worked with the coaches and spent some time on his game," said Kidd. "And you can see the payoff [now]. But I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg for him. He’s just starting. He’s playing at a high level and that’s good because we need him.”
With that said, let's take a brief look back at what Green was able to do last season, as well as look forward to season he has in front of him.
2021-22 Season Review
The averages weren't eye-popping for Green last season, as he finished with just 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists through 67 games. However, after more than doubling his minutes played from year one (445) to year two (1,039), Green was able settle down more and shot 50.8 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from deep. For comparison, he shot 45.2 percent from the field and 16 percent from deep in just 39 games during his rookie season.
Green scored double-digit points eight times last season, and the Mavs were 7-1 in those eight games. Dallas was 14-2 when Green scored at least eight points. His best performances came in back-to-back January games where he scored a career-high 17 points against the Houston Rockets, and then another career-high 18 points two days later against the Chicago Bulls. Long story short, good things happen when Green scores the ball, and the Mavs will hope to get that more consistently this season.
2022-23 Season Preview
Before Green could improve over the summer, he had to come to terms with some hard truths about his game. Watching film and facing his weaknesses give him confidence heading into his third year.
“As much as I didn’t want to watch it, I watched it many times. It’s hard to watch, but at the same time, it’s a learning curve. I think you have to watch everything, the good and the bad," said Green.
“The more I improve my game, the more it’s going to help out the team. And that’s my goal, to help the team out as much as I can, whatever it is. I just want to make sure I can go out there and be a force."
With the Mavs attempting to replace Jalen Brunson's production from last season by committee, Green knew that his ball-handling had to improve. He had already shown flashes of being able to make smart passes, but being able to control the ball and slow his game down a bit was the next progression.
“Ball-handling was my biggest thing, being comfortable having the ball in my hands and creating my own shot. I haven’t been confident, I think, in games. I just need to be consistent with my shot," said Green.
Green also said that he's been able to learn how to control his pace after working out with Miami Heat point guard and NBA champion Kyle Lowry over the summer. Between that and getting coached up by Kevin Garnett in Las Vegas over the summer as well, Green has been able to soak in a lot of valuable knowledge.
To start the season, Green will likely come off the bench and play around 15-20 minutes per game. However, if he continues to play with the same kind of confidence and lack of hesitation that we've witnessed so far in training camp, perhaps Green could find himself in the starting lineup at some point. Those things are fluid, and Kidd has been known to experiment throughout a season, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Regardless, although it's tough to predict averages and lineups, one thing seems like a safe bet: Josh Green will be a better version of himself than he was last year. Let's see what he can do.
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