Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Gerald Green can be an excellent addition to the Phoenix Suns for the 2013-14 season. But the Suns need to find the right spot for him and Green needs to focus on two specific areas of his game.
The Suns picked up Green and Miles Plumlee from the Indiana Pacers over the weekend for veteran Luis Scola.
Initially, it would appear the Pacers got the best end of the deal. Scola will give them excellent depth in their bid for an NBA title.
Green may not start for the Suns, but he can certainly give some valuable contributions from off the bench. For the Pacers during the playoffs, he averaged 6.1 points and 1.3 rebounds a game while shooting 42 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent in three-pointers.
During the regular season in 60 games, Green averaged 7.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 18.0 minutes per game. He shot 36 percent from the floor and a splendid 80 percent from the free-throw line. For his career, Green has decent numbers at 8.0 points and 2.3 boards a game.
Green can be a key player for the Suns if he improves his three-point shooting and defense. He has struggled in those two areas. If he can improve with the Suns in both areas he’ll be more of a complete player.
The Suns need Green to play with the type of confidence he did in the last regular season game against the Philadelphia 76ers when he was 14-of-23 from the floor and had 34 points. In his first three playoff contests, he hit in double figures while averaging 12 points a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
That’s the Gerald Green the Suns want to see next season.
