During the season, Georgetowns rise to the top of the Big East strongly correlated to the play of
Jeff Green. The junior forwards all-around game and leadership allowed him to win the Big East player of the Year award. Green has never been a go-to scorer, but he did try and step up as the main option during a few key stretches in the NCAA Tournament. Against Ohio State in the Final Four, he did the usual small things on the floor he has become known for this season, but failed to elevate his game to push Georgetown past Ohio State.
In the first half, Green was relatively quiet, though he did collect 6 rebounds. Offensively, he only scored five points on two back door cuts and a free throw attempt, and these points came with under 3 minutes left in the first 20 minutes. He didnt particularly help himself in any area of the game, though he did draw a charge in addition to creating a couple scoring chances for teammates after one of his offensive rebounds.
The second half is where Green had his chance to shine, but he failed to lead Georgetown on a surge when it was needed the most. He did make a couple nice reads in the Princeton offense which lead to a couple nice scoring attempts, mostly on cuts to the basket. With around 8:45 remaining in the game, Georgetowns go-to scorer
Roy Hibbert picked up his 4th foul. Green was unable to contribute any points while playing as the first option on the offensive end, and Ohio State went on a 7-0 run, which essentially put the game out of reach.
In terms of NBA potential,
Jeff Greens game has some limits right now. First of all, he lacks a true position at the next level, and can be most accurately labeled as a combo-forward at this point in time. In terms of creating offense, he struggles going to the basket off the dribble, and lacks the tremendous explosiveness other wing players in this draft have. He has displayed some ability in the post, but this mostly comes against smaller players.
There is a lot to like about Green when it comes to the NBA, however. When given the ball inside in the right position, he has the ability to use his long arms and athleticism to make some very impressive finishes. Green brings great passing ability to the floor, which he showed off a number of times against Ohio State. In the Princeton offense, he often receives the ball at the top of the key, and his ability to read the defense has lead to a 3.2 assist per game average this season. When rebounding, Green not only uses his great physical attributes, but he also positions himself well and shows good anticipation in getting to the ball.
Though
Jeff Green played poorly in the final game of his junior season, he did plenty throughout the course of the season to boost his draft stock. He has the potential to be a very good role player at the next level, considering he has already showed the willingness to do all the little things at the college level. At this point, it seems likely that Green will try his luck with the draft and test his stock, and if he decides to keep his name in, he will have every chance to land somewhere between the late lottery to mid first round.
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