Jeff Green and Doc Rivers discussed whether the forward is playing his best basketball ever.
BOSTON -- Is Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green playing the best basketball of his life right now?
"I don't know," he said Friday before notching 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a loss to Cleveland. "My life's not done."
How about until this point in time?
"I've just been more consistent," he said. "I think that's the biggest thing."
Really, the answer to the question should be a simple yes.
Despite many players seeing a downturn in efficiency as their responsibilities grow, Green has only been more effective as his role in the offense expands. That's an especially good sign for Boston, since Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett won't play forever.
With six games left in the season, Green is on pace to set career highs in most publicly available advanced statistics. He still hasn't been able to improve as a rebounder, but his defensive strides have been just as noticeable (albeit not as discussed) as his offensive turnaround. For the first time in his career, Green's team has consistently played better with him on the court. He's also currently on pace to post his first above-average PER (15.2).
The Celtics actually drafted Green out of Georgetown in 2007 before dealing him to Seattle in a trade that netted Ray Allen. Head coach Doc Rivers reflected on what the organization liked in Green back then, saying that Green's shooting has come as a real surprise.
"I think he has shot the ball far better than he did in college, and I don't think anyone can say they knew he would shoot the ball the way he's shot the ball," Rivers said. "I just thought, you saw a lot there. You saw his passing ability at Georgetown almost as much as his scoring ability, because they ran the Princeton (offense). And you saw him being so versatile, and that's basically what's happened here."
So does Rivers think Green's playing better than ever?
"Yeah, I guess. I didn't follow his career when he was in the pros in Oklahoma City. So you can take that part out. No, I didn't watch all those games," he said. "But I'm going to say yes. I don't know that as a fact. He did play pretty well at Georgetown. But since he's been in the pros, I would have to say yes."