After going undrafted from Radford, it took Javonte Green several seasons to find his way onto an NBA team, and his teammates don’t understand why.
To his teammates, it’s still a bit of a mystery how 24-year-old Boston Celtics rookie took so long to latch on to an NBA outfit.
The 6-foot-4 wing spent several seasons playing overseas after going undrafted out of Radford, forcing his way onto Boston’s roster after outstanding Las Vegas Summer League and camp play this offseason.
Overshadowed by teammate Tacko Fall as the Senegalese center gets votes for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game despite having played just three games in the league, Green has quietly made himself a valuable depth player at the team’s deepest position.
While some nights there just aren’t minutes available for the 26-year-old small forward, he’s still carved out 7.8 minutes per contest as his own so far this season.
The minutes are earned by the Virginian wing, and his teammates are understandably confused by how long it took such a skilled, athletic, and reliable player to get an NBA contract.
“[I’m] very surprised. He’s a rare talent,” All-Star hopeful Jaylen Brown told WEEI’s Nick Friar regarding the length of that wait. “His athletic ability. [He] definitely belongs playing basketball at the highest level.”
Fellow wing Jayson Tatum is also surprised it took as long as it did for the Petersburg native to get his first NBA deal, remarking “he deserves to be here,” a sentiment shared by All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker.
“His athleticism is crazy,” said UConn product. “His energy plus his athleticism mixed together. The way he gets downhill and the way he’s able to finish around the rim, it’s pretty impressive to me. Whenever he gets in the game, he gets to the basket going downhill. Every single time. It’s like clockwork.”
“I think that’s what impresses me the most. He just picks up speed, it’s crazy,” he noted.
Cal-Berkeley product Brown also credits Green’s mindset as a compliment to his athleticism in how he attacks the cup, suggesting, “[h]is aggressiveness, how confident he is,” plays a key role as well.
“He just looks like he belongs. He’s relentless in terms of getting to the basket, getting to the paint. And anybody can use that on their team,” added the Georgia native.
Walker believes there’s a path to something greater for the Radford product if he can improve one particular aspect of his game: “If [Green] can become a great 3-and-D guy then he’ll really have a real solid chance at being a rotation guy every night.”
“But that’s going to come with his work, which he puts it in. I always see him here [at the Auerbach Center] early trying to work on his jump shot. But that’s his next step: consistently making the three and just making shots when he’s open.”
Shooting is one of the more teachable skills, and with access to the best that Boston can offer, a chance to earn an even bigger role is there for a player until recently known more as a human highlight reel than a complete player.
The weeks and months ahead just might change our opinions on that, with a busy schedule and plenty of opportunities to boost his profile with the Celtics.
The rest is up to Green.
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