Gerald Green’s patience pays off
By Jean Louise Webb
When looking for feature stories on the Rockets, it was easy to find ones about James Harden being called MVP by multiple coaches. But what was more interesting was this story about Gerald Green by the Houston Chronicle beat reporter, Jonathan Feigen.
Green has not been a star player for the Rockets this season but his impact was visible during their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, March 18. As Feigen mentions in the story, “He (Green) had played 24.3 minutes per game before (Joe) Johnson signed, 13.4 since.” Green put up 12 of the 120 points in 14 minutes but was a crucial part of expanding a 25-point lead over the Timberwolves.
In this feature story the focus is not on how Green felt playing again, or why he had not played much all season, instead it was about his dedication to his team. Green has bounced around from team-to-team since being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2005. But he had never experienced a team with so much success until playing for the Rockets this season.
I appreciated the perspective taken by Feigen to write this article as a praise towards Green for being patient and enjoying his time as a team player. It’s refreshing to hear about professional athletes maintaining a positive attitude no matter what their position is on and off the court.
There is a mutual understanding between the players and head coach Mike D’Antoni about playing time. As the number one team in the NBA, playing everyone on the roster is unrealistic. When Green was asked about playing time he responded by saying, “As a competitor, you never want to sit out. But with this team, somebody has to sit. For me to just wait my time, be patient, wait until my number is called, being on the №1 team in the NBA, this team is very good. I understand everybody can’t play. I think a lot of people understand what we’re trying to do. When my number is called, go out there and be ready to play and do what I can do.”
Since winning in Minnesota, Green played 11 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers and scored three points. Green patiently awaits his next opportunity to get off the bench and represent his team well.
