Tag: Jeff Green

Rockets officially sign Jeff Green for remainder of 2019-20 season

The Houston Rockets have found their backup center behind P.J. Tucker for this season, now that Jeff Green’s future is secure.

In news that should surprise no one, the Houston Rockets announced late Friday that Jeff Green is now signed for the rest of the season.

Both Green and the Rockets have raved about the fit since the 13-year NBA veteran signed a 10-day contract on Feb. 18.

In four games as Houston’s backup center to P.J. Tucker, Green is averaging 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.3 minutes per game, all while shooting 70.0% from the floor and 61.5% on 3-pointers.

The Rockets (38-20) have won each of those contests by double digits, with Green as a consistent part of the rotation in each game.

Moving forward, those lofty percentages won’t be sustainable as the sample size grows. But the versatile big man with scoring prowess does seem to be an ideal fit with Houston’s new small-ball approach, having quickly earned respect and praise from his teammates and coaches.

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Green has played at least 18 minutes in 17 of his 34 games for Utah and Houston this season. In those outings, the 33-year-old is averaging 2.0 3-pointers made on 49.3% shooting from behind the arc.

Green was picked No. 5 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics — who later moved to Oklahoma City. In all, he’s played for nine NBA franchises, with averages of 13.0 points (44.0% shooting, 33.5% on 3-pointers) and 4.4 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per game.

Green and the Rockets return to action with a Saturday night visit to Boston. Tip-off from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central, with the game televised on a national ABC broadcast.

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Jeff Green says he will sign with Rockets for rest of season

With his 10-day deal set to expire later this week, Jeff Green will sign a standard rest-of-season contract with the Rockets.

After initially signing veteran big man Jeff Green to a 10-day contract last week, the Houston Rockets appear poised to extend his deal for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Speaking pregame before Wednesday’s home matchup versus the Grizzlies, Green confirmed that an agreement had been reached to sign a standard contract. The Memphis game was the last Green would have been eligible to play in, as per the terms of his original 10-day deal.

In the conversation with Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston:

Green: I’m going to sign. It means a lot. I’m looking forward the opportunity, and I’m going to do my part and try to help any way I can.

Berman: Was it a tough decision, deciding to stay here, or was it pretty easy?

Green: Pretty easy.

Now with his ninth NBA team, Green was picked No. 5 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics — who later became the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since then, he’s averaged 13.0 points (44.0% shooting, 33.4% on 3-pointers) and 4.4 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per game.

In three recent outings as Houston’s backup center behind P.J. Tucker, Green has tallied 9.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game, and he’s shooting 83.3% from the field and 71.4% on 3-pointers.

The Rockets (37-20) have won each of those contests by double digits, with Green as a consistent part of the rotation in each game.

Moving forward, those lofty percentages won’t be sustainable as the sample size grows. But the versatile big man with scoring prowess does seem to be an ideal fit with Houston’s new small-ball approach, having quickly earned respect and praise from his teammates and coaches.

Speaking Monday prior to Green’s home debut at Toyota Center, head coach Mike D’Antoni said this about the 6-foot-8 NBA veteran:

I think Jeff is going to be real good. The length, the athleticism, he knows how to play. He’s going to fill a nice role.

After Green’s first game with the Rockets last Thursday, All-Star guard and current NBA scoring leader James Harden said:

True professional. Always ready. His name was called and he was ready to go. Obviously, he made some big shots, but defensively he just fit with what we were doing.

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Though the 13-year NBA veteran has spent most of his career as a forward, Green indicated Monday that he has no concerns about his new role as a center for D’Antoni and the smaller Rockets. His outlook:

It’s not a challenge. It’s just basketball. It’s something I’ve done most of my career. I’ve done it from my rookie year to now, playing multiple positions. At the end of the day, it’s about playing with confidence, playing with heart.

With the early returns promising, it quickly became a no-brainer for D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey to keep the 33-year-old around for the rest of the season. From Green’s perspective, Houston’s emphasis on versatility and 3-point shooting appears to be an ideal fit for him, too.

Green and the Rockets return to action with a Saturday night visit to Boston. Tip-off from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central, with the game televised on a national ABC broadcast.

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Rockets, Jeff Green confident in his rotation fit in Houston

Though he’s still on a 10-day contract, the Rockets continue to signal confidence that Jeff Green will stick around and play a key role.

Jeff Green remains on a 10-day contract, but it would be impossible to know that from the way the Houston Rockets talk about him.

In three outings as Houston’s backup center behind P.J. Tucker, Green is averaging 9.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game, and he’s shooting 83.3% from the field and 71.4% on 3-pointers.

The Rockets (37-20) have won each of those games by double digits.

Speaking Monday prior to Green’s home debut at Toyota Center, head coach Mike D’Antoni said this about the 6-foot-8 NBA veteran:

I think Jeff is going to be real good. The length, the athleticism, he knows how to play. He’s going to fill a nice role.

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By comparison, D’Antoni wasn’t quite as optimistic with regards to potential playing time for fellow newcomer DeMarre Carroll — even though Carroll is on a standard contract, and Green only a 10-day deal.

D’Antoni said:

We’ll see how DeMarre will progress. We have a lot of guys. That makes it real tough. When everybody is healthy … it’s hard to play everybody. Like in Utah, DeMarre didn’t play.

A few minutes later, Green was asked in the home locker room whether talks were in progress about extending his 10-day deal. He replied:

My mind frame right now is just worrying about tonight. I’m a live-in-the-moment type of guy. The rest will take care of itself.

Based on his strong play, the decision to retain Green has become a virtual no-brainer for GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets. In turn, that may further reduce any uncertainty from Green about his future.

Though the 13-year NBA veteran has spent most of his career as a forward, Green indicated Monday that he has no concerns about his new role as a center for D’Antoni and the smaller Rockets. His outlook:

It’s not a challenge. It’s just basketball. It’s something I’ve done most of my career. I’ve done it from my rookie year to now, playing multiple positions. At the end of the day, it’s about playing with confidence, playing with heart.

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Green will be eligible to play in Wednesday’s home game versus Memphis under his current 10-day contract. From there, the 33-year-old will either need to sign a second 10-day deal or a standard rest-of-season contract to play in games beyond that, starting Saturday in Boston.

Considering Green’s contributions thus far, an agreement with the Rockets later this week on a new contract feels inevitable.

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After long day, James Harden scores 37 as Rockets crush Knicks

Despite a long travel day, James Harden still led the Rockets (37-20) with 37 points and nine assists. It’s their eighth win in 10 games.

Despite unusually extensive gameday travel, All-Star James Harden still led the Rockets with 37 points and nine assists as Houston cruised to a 123-112 home win (box score) over visiting New York on Monday night.

Harden’s 37 came on 14-of-25 (56.0%) shooting, with 31 of those points coming in the first half. That gave Houston a 15-point halftime advantage, allowing them to lead comfortably throughout the second half.

The Rockets (37-20) have now won four consecutive games and eight of their last 10 overall. Houston led by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks cut the final margin to a more respectable 11 after head coach Mike D’Antoni emptied his bench and the former MVP exited.

The Knicks were led by 21 points (8-of-15 shooting) from prized rookie guard RJ Barrett, selected No. 3 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Harden, Russell Westbrook, and P.J. Tucker only arrived at Toyota Center an hour before Monday’s tip-off, since they were in Los Angeles during the day for Kobe Bryant’s memorial service. But against the lowly Knicks (17-40), any fatigue from the day’s events didn’t slow down Harden.

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Westbrook did not play due to left thumb soreness, though D’Antoni indicated postgame that it wasn’t a major concern.

Starting in Westbrook’s place, Eric Gordon scored 16 points and had a team-best point differential of +16 in his 26 minutes. However, Gordon left the game early in the second half with a sore knee.

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Off the bench, reserve guards Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore each continued their hot shooting of late with a combined 31 points on 6-of-12 (50.0%) from behind the 3-point arc.

In their home debuts, veteran newcomers Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll added 16 points between them on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%).

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Among frontcourt starters, Robert Covington led the way with 11 points (3-of-8 on 3-pointers), seven rebounds, and four blocks — extending his streak to four consecutive games with three or more blocked shots.

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The Rockets will wrap up a brief two-game homestand when they host the Memphis Grizzlies (28-28) and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant on Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central time from Toyota Center, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

With Jeff Green thriving, Rockets pass on claiming Markieff Morris

In what seems to be a vote of confidence in Jeff Green as their backup center, the Rockets did not claim Markieff Morris off waivers.

The Houston Rockets opted not to claim recently waived forward Markieff Morris, allowing him to sign with the rival Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers on Sunday afternoon.

Using a Traded Player Exception (TPE), Houston had the financial means to claim Morris’ prior $3.2-million contract off waivers. Furthermore, the Rockets are far enough beneath the NBA’s luxury-tax line that they could have added Morris without going into tax territory.

Nonetheless, even though they’ve shown interest in Morris in the recent past, the Rockets chose not to make a claim.

Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-8 Morris is averaging 11.0 points (39.7% 3-point shooting) and 3.9 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game this season.

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Some had suggested that the Rockets might claim Morris as a means of blocking the Lakers, who are among their chief competition in the Western Conference. However. it may not have been worth it for GM Daryl Morey to go against the wishes of Morris and his agency representation if the only use for him in Houston would have been as emergency depth.

Passing on the opportunity to add Morris would seem to be a vote of confidence in newcomer Jeff Green, since both Morris and Green would be centers-only in Houston’s small-ball scheme.

In two outings with the Rockets, the 6-foot-8 Green is averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 19 minutes per game. He’s shooting 77.8% from the field and 66.7% on 3-pointers, albeit in a very small sample.

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Green is currently on a 10-day contract, which expires next weekend. But assuming he continues to play well as the backup center behind P.J. Tucker, it appears very likely that Green’s deal will be extended. The fact that Morey passed on the chance to add a proven veteran, such as Morris, at the same position offers even more evidence of their intentions.

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Jeff Green impresses Harden, D’Antoni in debut for Rockets

Jeff Green had a great debut for the Rockets in Thursday’s win at Golden State, scoring 17 points (4-of-5 on 3-pointers) in 24 minutes.

Officially, veteran big man Jeff Green is only on a 10-day contract with the Houston Rockets. But in his debut with the team on Thursday, he played like a man who could be around for a while longer.

In Houston’s 30-point blowout victory (box score) at Golden State, Green scored 17 points in 24 minutes off the bench, and he also grabbed four rebounds. The Rockets were +19 with Green on the floor.

The 6-foot-8 Green, who effectively served as the backup center to P.J. Tucker in Houston’s small-ball approach, made 6-of-7 shots (85.7%) from the field — including 4-of-5 (80.0%) from 3-point range.

“Yeah, he looked pretty good,” head coach Mike D’Antoni said postgame with a big smile. “That was good. He’s going to really help us.”

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In postgame comments to reporters at Chase Center, here’s what superstar guard and former MVP James Harden said of Green:

True professional. Always ready. His name was called and he was ready to go. Obviously, he made some big shots, but defensively he just fit with what we were doing.

Among Green’s own postgame comments:

I didn’t expect anything. I just came ready to play. I mean, I’m in shape, so I just tried to do whatever I needed to help the team win.

It’s team basketball. We know who our go-to guys are, we share the ball, and we love when everybody is aggressive and we take the shot that’s there. And when we’re going, it’s a beautiful thing.

With bigs like Green helping to space the floor, the Rockets made 15 3-pointers as a team in Thursday’s first half alone, and 25 for the game. It was the sixth time in team history that Houston has hit at least 25 3-pointers, while all other NBA franchises have two such games, combined.

Green also seemed to enjoy being reunited with Harden and Russell Westbrook, who he played with in Oklahoma City near the start of his NBA career approximately 10 years ago.

It felt good being out on the floor again with those guys James, Russ, even Thabo [Sefolosha] brings back old memories. But we’re here to create new memories, and we’re trying to accomplish something special.

Beyond making shots and his defensive contributions (which Harden noted), Green also showed Thursday that even at 33 years old, he still has plenty left in the tank with regards to his athleticism.

In one sequence, Green showed he could provide the threat of vertical spacing by finishing an alleyoop lob from Westbrook. On another play, he showcased an ability to create his own offense off the dribble.

Green will have an opportunity to continue his momentum and potentially enact some personal revenge when the Rockets visit his former team for a crucial game on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Houston (35-20) currently trails Utah (36-18) by 1.5 games in the Western Conference standings in the race for home-court advantage in at least the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs, and Saturday’s game will also decide any potential tiebreaker between the two teams.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. Central time. Houston enters having won six of its last eight games overall, though one of the two losses was to Utah courtesy of Bojan Bogdanovic’s stunning buzzer-beater on Feb. 9.

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Road rout: Covington, Tucker shoot smaller Rockets past Warriors

Houston made 25 3-pointers in Thursday’s blowout at Golden State, led by five each by frontcourt starters Robert Covington and P.J. Tucker.

The Houston Rockets had the floor spacing they craved on Thursday at Golden State, with frontcourt starters Robert Covington and P.J. Tucker each making five 3-pointers in a 135-105 rout (box score).

James Harden led the Rockets (35-20) with 29 points and 10 assists, while Russell Westbrook added 21 points and 10 assists. It’s the sixth win in eight games for the Rockets, with the 6-foot-5 Tucker starting at center in each of them as part of Houston’s new-look smaller lineup.

Covington was Houston’s third-leading scorer with 20 points, and he also added five rebounds and a game-high four blocks. It’s the second consecutive game with the Rockets for Covington to block four shots.

Due to the blowout, no Rockets player exceeded 30 minutes in the game, with head coach Mike D’Antoni playing 12 men in total.

Tucker hit his five 3-pointers in the first half, which helped build a 22-point halftime lead over the outmatched Warriors (12-44). For Houston, it was sweet revenge after a shocking loss at Chase Center on Christmas.

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Veteran big man Jeff Green, who signed just two days ago, added to Houston’s depth of frontcourt shooters by scoring 17 points and hitting four-of-five shots from 3-point range in his Rockets debut.

Overall, Houston made 25-of-49 3-pointers (51.0%) as a team, while Golden State hit just 7-of-33 from 3-point range (21.9%).

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The Warriors were led by 22 points from newcomer Andrew Wiggins.

The Rockets have a much larger challenge looming Saturday when they visit the Jazz in Salt Lake City. Houston trails Utah (36-18) by 1.5 games in the Western Conference standings in the race for home-court advantage in at least the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs, and Saturday’s game will also decide any potential tiebreaker between the teams.

Guard Eric Gordon did not play Thursday due to a bruised left shin, but the hope is that he’ll be back for Saturday’s game. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central from Vivint Smart Home Arena.

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Jeff Green reunited with former Thunder teammates Harden, Westbrook

The Houston Rockets reportedly signed the journeyman forward to a 10-day contract on Tuesday. Green played for Seattle/OKC from 2007-2011.

The Houston Rockets have reportedly signed journeyman forward Jeff Green to a 10-day contract.

According to ESPN, Green was set to sign on Tuesday after being waived by the Utah Jazz late in December. Green signed a one-year free-agent deal with Utah in July and averaged 7.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 30 games for the Jazz.

The deal allowed him to reunite for his former Oklahoma City teammates, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Drafted by the fifth overall by the Seattle Supersonics in 2007, he played for the team for one year before the franchise moved to Oklahoma City.

In total, Green played three and a half seasons for Seattle/OKC before he was traded to the Celtics in a deadline deal on Feb. 24, 2011, for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.

In 289 games between the Supersonics and Thunder, Green averaged 14.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

He played just 26 games for the Celtics before missing the entire 2011-12 season with a heart condition.

He returned the following year to play 81 games for Boston during the 2012-13 season.

Now in his 12th year, Green has played for eight different franchises during his career, averaging 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 890 career games.

Jeff Green excited for ‘special’ reunion with Westbrook, Harden

Jeff Green played multiple seasons with James Harden and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City. They’ve since become MVPs, and now Green is ready for a reunion.

The Rockets will be the ninth NBA franchise for veteran forward Jeff Green, who agreed Monday to sign a 10-day contract with Houston.

But while the team is new to the 33-year-old, its two superstar guards in James Harden and Russell Westbrook are not.

After being selected as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by Seattle, Green started at power forward in Oklahoma City from 2008 until February 2011. That timeline means he overlapped with the first three seasons of Westbrook’s NBA career, and the initial two for Harden.

Since then, Westbrook and Harden have grown into nine-time and eight-time All-Stars, respectively, with each winning an MVP award.

Nearly 10 years later, with all three men in their 30s, they’ve suddenly been reunited with the Rockets. From Green’s perspective, that’s a special opportunity. In comments to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston, he said:

It’s going to be special to see those two guys, the way they’ve grown. It’s been wonderful. As a fan of the game, it’s been great to see. I’m excited to be with them again.

Playing for something special, that’s what it’s all about. To do it with guys, we basically came in together, is going to be special.

Green played 30 games with Utah earlier this season, scoring 7.8 points (32.7% on 3-pointers) and grabbing 2.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. He was waived on Dec. 24 and has been without a team since.

Over his 12-year NBA career with eight teams, Green has averaged 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 29.6 minutes. At 6-foot-8, he’s likely to be an option behind starter P.J. Tucker at center for the smaller Rockets.

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Besides scoring, height, and floor spacing, Green thinks his veteran experience could also be an asset — headlined by a trip to the 2018 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In one of the defining performances of his career, Green tallied 19 points and eight rebounds in a road Game 7 victory at Boston to clinch the Eastern Conference Finals.

In comments to Berman, Green reflected on that experience:

What I can do on the floor, being versatile, the experience, being blessed to have played in the Finals.

At the end of the day, I did have LeBron James on my team. Here we have two superstars on this team as well, with a good group of guys. Hopefully that can translate into taking us to the promised land.

In Green’s two full seasons (2008-09 and 2009-10) with the Thunder alongside Westbrook as the starting point guard, Green posted some of the best numbers of his entire career at 15.8 points (44.9% shooting, 35.8% on 3-pointers) and 6.3 rebounds in 37.0 minutes per game.

Now 10 years later, it would be a shock if Green played anywhere close to the same minutes with the Rockets. Nonetheless, the past experience certainly can’t hurt, as it pertains to quickly finding chemistry.

Green should be available to play when Houston (34-20) returns to action Thursday night at Golden State (12-43). The game tips off at 9:30 p.m. Central time, with an exclusive national TV broadcast on TNT.

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After adding Carroll, Rockets agree to sign veteran Jeff Green

The Houston Rockets added to their front line Monday by striking contract agreements with veterans Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll.

The Rockets filled out their roster Monday and bolstered their frontcourt depth by reaching agreements to sign a pair of 33-year-old NBA forwards, first DeMarre Carroll and later Jeff Green.

Both veterans will be signed to the team’s two open roster spots, created after GM Daryl Morey‘s trade deadline moves. News of Green’s deal with Houston leaked only minutes after the agreement with Carroll broke.

Each player seems to fit with Houston’s trend toward smaller lineups, designed to bolster floor spacing and open up driving lanes for backcourt stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The 6-foot-8 Green and 6-foot-6 Carroll could each be options on the front line behind rotation regulars P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Robert Covington.

In effect, Morey and innovative head coach Mike D’Antoni are giving up the size and rim protection of a traditional center — such as Clint Capela — in exchange for more perimeter shooting and defensive versatility.

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Green played 30 games with Utah earlier this season, scoring 7.8 points (32.7% on 3-pointers) and grabbing 2.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. He was waived on Dec. 24 and has been without a team since.

Unlike Carroll, it appears that Green will initially sign a 10-day contract with the Rockets before committing to a deal for the rest of the season.

Over his 12-year NBA career, Green has averaged 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per game.

Drafted No. 5 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Green already has experience playing alongside both Westbrook and Harden during his time in Oklahoma City from 2008 until early 2011.

Both Green and Carroll should be available to play when Houston (34-20) returns to action Thursday night at Golden State (12-43). The game will tip off at 9:30 p.m. Central and be televised nationally on TNT.