PLAYOFFS ROUND 2: #1 PHX (3-4) vs. #4 DAL (4-3) | DAL advances to WCF!

[mvossman]

You keep talking about years. This game just isn't about years. The coaching staff is projecting skill, and they've had well over a year to look at him. He's having a hard time staying in a playoff game because of his skill, not because of his age.

I'm willing to bet Green is still given a look by the front office because first-round draft picks should get that much of a look. If he were a mid 2nd-round pick, I venture he'd be playing exclusively in the G League. That's where he should be right now.

Years are definitely a part of it.  Do you really not think a kid with a partial year of college ball at 19 does not have more room to grow than 3/4 year college player, or a mid 20s guy we pluck out of Germany?

As for belonging in the G league, here are the EPM (best on/off advanced stat) and BPM (best box score stat) for these guys as sophomores:

Green:        EPM: -2.3   BPM: -1
Dinwiddie:   EPM: -4      BPM: -5.2
Bullock:       EPM: -2.7   BPM: -3.2
Dorian:       EPM: -1.9    BPM: -4.6
Powell:        EPM: -1      BPM: .1
Brunson:     EPM: -.3     BPM: -.9
Maxi:          EPM: 1.2     BPM: .4

Looks like a lot of our rotational players should have been in the G league as sophomores.  The reality is most young players struggle in their first couple of years in the NBA.  For comparison sake, Frank was worse as a sophomore and is roughly the same in his 5th year as Green is now.  If Green follows that same trajectory (a distinct possibility) then he will be an NBA player but probably not ever worth more than his current contract.  On the other hand, Dorian played at roughly Green level for 3 years before making a huge leap (and he is still getting better).  

You had said earlier that your assessment was not based on your scouting eye.  First it was minutes, and then that he belongs in the G league.  The reality is his minutes and on court impact as a sophomore is right in line with most of our starter/rotational players.

The fact that the lights were too bright in his very first playoffs as a 21 year old is unfortunate, but I don't really think it makes sense to dump a player off a couple of game sample.