TRADE: Christian Wood (1yr/$14.3M) to DAL | #26+SB+Boban+Chriss+TB to HOU

[mvossman]

My point is this. What makes you think Josh Green gets to "average" NBA player? What has the coaching staff done to make you think that? His stats went up a bit because he got more minutes during the season. He got more minutes because Kidd put some effort into seeing what he had - which I agree with. But this coaching staff couldn't play him in the playoffs. He's a "defensive specialist" that's still learning the game, and I use "defensive specialist" kindly. Fans appear to eyeball him into being a rotation player, but the coaching staff hasn't given any indication that's actually the case.

This just isn't the team for him in my opinion. The Mavs are much better with a seasoned veteran who is a tested defensive specialist - not one 3-4 years away at best. We talk about boosting our talent level, but we turn around and keep paying him when we need better rotation players? We need to build this team with a serviceable player that you're not afraid to put in there in a playoff game. That's where the Mavs are now. They are likely one of the top 6-7 teams in the NBA. Having wins during the season is meaningful.

He's had two seasons under his belt, and the Mavs just competed for the Western Conference championship. If any team wants him in a decent trade for a veteran, we are supposed to turn them down?

Its very simple.  Young inexperience guys in the NBA don't generally play very well, but many get better each season.  The fact that he was significantly better in his second year (and not just in minutes, across the board better) than he was in his first is very encouraging.  If he makes the same jump next season he will already be a rotational player.

In the past I showed that Greens production and minutes in his second year was about average for the players on our team (at a younger age than just about all of them).  If you are super discouraged with his playoff performance, here are some comparisons:

Dinwiddie got 2 minutes a game in his second year in the playoffs
Timmy got 10 minutes a game in his third year in the playoffs
Bullock got 2 minutes a game in his first year in the playoffs
Bullock got 11 minutes a game in his third year in the playoffs

Greens 8 (ineffective) minutes in the playoffs in his second year seems right on pace.  

I don't know what the odds that Green continues improvement and becomes a valuable rotational piece, but that kind of progression happens all the time in the NBA and its not hard to see how he gets there.  His defense is already better than average and he simply needs to be less timid pulling the trigger on offense.

If he is a needed piece to land a top 8 player then I can definitely see the argument to send him out, but otherwise I think its worth the gamble to hold onto a potentially young cost controlled asset.