Jeff Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Irving, Harden, Durant, Green, More

June 14th, 2021 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s not ruling out the possibility that Nets guard Kyrie Irving will be available for Game 5 vs. the Bucks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link) suggested during a KJZ appearance on Monday morning that the team is bracing for Irving to miss at least that game, if not more, after spraining his ankle on Sunday.

With Irving and James Harden (hamstring) both potentially sidelined, the alarm bells are blaring for the Nets, who now find themselves in a 2-2 tie with Milwaukee, writes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. As Vaccaro notes, even if Irving and Harden are able to play again in this series, there’s no guarantee they’d be 100%, and ankle and hamstring injuries are easy to tweak.

Here’s more on the Nets:

If Irving and Harden are out, Kevin Durant will bear the burden of trying to carry the Nets into the next round, as Ian O’Connor of The New York Post and Joe Vardon of The Athletic write in separate stories. Vardon compares the situation to LeBron James having to shoulder the load for the 2015 Cavaliers after Irving and Kevin Love went down with injuries.
The Nets at least got some good injury news prior to Game 4 on Sunday when forward Jeff Green was cleared to return. However, head coach Steve Nash admitted after the game that he ended up having to play Green more than he anticipated — and more than he would’ve liked. “I think (with) Kyrie going down, we used his versatility to try different things,” Nash said of Green, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’m proud of him for playing. He wasn’t supposed to play today — a couple days ago. For him to ratchet it up and get out there was great.”
In a span of days, the Nets went from overwhelming title favorites to being in real danger of elimination in the second round, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who says that Brooklyn is the latest club to “ram home” the point that winning a title in the NBA is extremely difficult.
The Nets and Bucks had differing views on P.J. Tucker‘s defense on Durant after Game 4, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Nash referred to Tucker’s approach as “borderline non-basketball physical at times,” prompting Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer to respond, “He’s just guarding him. If that’s not basketball, I don’t know what is.”

Jeff Green Available For Nets

June 13th, 2021 at 1:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

1:32pm: Green will be available to play for the Nets in Game 4 of their second-round matchup against the Bucks this afternoon, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. Andrews notes that Green will be suiting up for the first time since the second game in Brooklyn’s first-round contest against the Celtics on May 25.

1:22pm: Nets forward Jeff Green, still dealing with a left plantar fascia strain, will be a game-time decision for this afternoon’s crucial Game 4 contest against the Bucks, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. The Nets lead the series 2-1.

The 6’8″ tweener forward has been an effective role player for the Nets this season, averaging 11.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.6 APG during 27.0 MPG. He boasted a slash line of .492/.412/.776. Across the Nets’ first two games in the postseason, Green averaged 4.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG over 19.3 MPG.

Per Goodwill, Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash indicated that Green would need to successfully complete his pregame warmups and get a green light from team physicians before he’d be able to take the floor.

Brooklyn is of course still missing guards James Harden, out with a right hamstring strain for the third straight game, and Spencer Dinwiddie, recovering from a partially-torn ACL incurred during the first week of the 2020/21 regular season. Word recently surfaced that Dinwiddie still hopes to return to the floor for Brooklyn at some point during the playoffs, possibly during the NBA Finals.

Harden Out, Green Questionable For Game 4

June 12th, 2021 at 2:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Nets guard James Harden will miss the fourth game of Brooklyn’s second-round playoff series against the Bucks on Sunday with right hamstring tightness, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN.

Harden’s Nets teammate Jeff Green, meanwhile, has seen his status upgraded to questionable ahead of Game 4. Green has been sidelined from Brooklyn’s postseason with a left plantar fascia strain since the third game of the Nets’ first-round series against the Celtics. The Nets would go on to defeat Boston 4-1. Nets head coach Steve Nash had indicated ahead of Game 3 against the Bucks that a Green return appeared imminent.

Nash noted that Harden is “progressing” from his right hamstring injury, though Nash stopped short of specifying a timeline for Harden’s return. The Nets have survived ably without one of their three All-Stars and a key forward in Green thus far during the series. Brooklyn is currently up 2-1 against Milwaukee, with the lone loss the result of a seemingly fluky drop in offensive production from Brooklyn’s bench.

Guard Bruce Brown has started in Harden’s place, while reserve point guard Mike James has seen an increased minutes load. The defensive-oriented Brown has also taken some of Green’s minutes in the rotation, functioning as a (very) small ball center in pick-and-rolls. All-Star Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has taken over more ball-handling duties with Harden sidelined.

Atlantic Notes: D. Green, Siakam, Harden, J. Green, Mobley

June 12th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Eli Cohen

Sixers‘ shooting guard Danny Green is unlikely to play in Monday’s Game Four against the Hawks, writes Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Green left Game Three less than four minutes into the game, limping to the locker room with an apparent calf strain and returning later in a walking boot. Green is set to receive an MRI today, but head coach Doc Rivers isn’t optimistic about his chances of being ready for Game Four.

“I’m not ruling Danny out, but I’m pretty much ruling him out,” Rivers said. “I doubt if he plays the next game.”

The 76ers currently hold a 2-1 lead against the Hawks going into Game Four. Furkan Korkmaz took a majority of Green’s minutes in Game Three, but Rivers has yet to make a decision about what Green’s absence will mean to the rotation on Monday.

“Just the next guy has to step up, not sure who that’s going to be yet. We’ll go back, watch film, and decide who that will be.”

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors had hoped that forward Pascal Siakam‘s shoulder surgery last week could be avoided, tweets TSN Sports’ Josh Lewenberg, but ultimately decided that the risk of re-injury was too high. The five-month timetable for recovery points to a November return to action, meaning Siakam will miss not only the start of the 2021/22 season but also a crucial development offseason following a let-down season for the Raptors’ star and the team as a whole. Siakam had been planning on using his longest off-season in five years to lock himself in the gym and work on expanding his game, writes Lewenberg, but this development means most of his time will be spent rehabbing and watching film.
The Nets missed James Harden‘s leadership in Game Three’s loss, writes New York Post’s Brian Lewis. With the offense bogging down against the Bucks rejuvenated defense, the Nets weren’t able to execute in the same ways they had been able to earlier in the series, and missed Harden’s ability to organize the offense. “I thought our execution could have been better throughout,” said head coach Steve Nash. “Great experience for our guys, like we said a new group, they’re still learning, they’re still figuring things out together and so it’s a great experience for us even if it was a painful one.”
Jeff Green is making progress in his rehab from plantar fasciitis and hasn’t been ruled out for Game Four, writes Brian Lewis in the same article. Though Green was still experiencing some discomfort while walking earlier in the week, the Nets forward said he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to return for Sunday’s game. The deciding factor will be how much progress he’s able to make in his ability to cut and change direction, reports New York Post’s Zach Braziller.
The Athletic’s Blake Murphy details why projected top-three pick Evan Mobley would be the perfect fit for the Raptors if they land the second pick. As a hyper-skilled seven-foot center with an intriguing blend of shooting, ball-handling and dominant defensive tools, Mobley’s fit with Siakam would be nearly seamless.

Harden Out For Game 3 With Hamstring Tightness

June 9th, 2021 at 12:29pm CST by Eli Cohen

James Harden will be out for Game Three of the Nets series against the Bucks, tweets Adam Zagoria of NY Times Sports. Head coach Steve Nash, addressing the media, made it clear that both Harden and forward Jeff Green will miss at least another game, though he added that it’s “highly possible” that Green plays sooner rather than later.

Harden has played just 43 seconds of the Nets’ second round playoff series against Milwaukee after leaving Game One with right hamstring tightness. The Nets have won the first two games of the series in convincing fashion without him, which could give them more leeway to take the recovery process slowly with their star shooting guard. Nash stated that both Harden and Green continue to make progress, according to a tweet from Malika Andrews of ESPN.

With Harden out, the Nets have turned to guards Bruce Brown and Mike James, with Brown taking much of the available guard minutes. Brown responded well to getting the starting nod in Game Two, putting up 13 points, six rebounds and four assists with no turnovers while also proving quite effective as a small-ball roll man/rim runner. James has scored in double digits in both contests.

The Bucks had clearly hoped to take advantage of Harden’s absence, but that didn’t prove the case in Game Two, as the Nets cruised to a 39-point victory. Kevin Durant scored 32 points on 12-18 shooting while none of the Bucks’ three stars could find much of a rhythm offensively.

With the next two games being held in Milwaukee and no clear timetable for Harden’s return, Game Three will be crucial if the Bucks have any hope of climbing back into this series.

Nets Notes: Harden, Green, Dinwiddie, James

June 7th, 2021 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

As we relayed on Sunday, All-Star guard James Harden will be unavailable on Monday night for Game 2 of Brooklyn’s series vs. Milwaukee. However, the Nets proved in Game 1 that they’re capable of beating the Bucks even without Harden, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Head coach Steve Nash believes all the injuries Brooklyn dealt with during the season helped prepare the team for such a scenario in the playoffs.

“We’ve had a lot thrown at us this year, so we were in a sense well-trained for this event,” Nash said. “But you never want to see someone like James who is such an important player, such an incredible player and cares so much. I’m heartbroken for him.”

As the Nets wait to see whether Harden might be able to return for Game 3, here are a few more notes from out of Brooklyn:

Jeff Green (left plantar fascia strain) has also been ruled out for Game 2, but Nash said that the injured forward is “progressing nicely” and may not be out much longer, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I think we’ll see him in the series, and hopefully, it’s Game 3,” Nash said. “But who knows?”
According to Lewis, Nash also suggested this weekend that it still looks unlikely that Spencer Dinwiddie, who is recovering from ACL surgery, will be able to return during the playoffs. “He’s not with the team. I believe he’s rehabbing in L.A. and is doing very well,” Nash said of Dinwiddie. “(But) I’ve had no conversations about him returning to the team or even returning to play at this point.”
Mike James, who didn’t expect to play more than about five minutes in Game 1, came up big in the absence of Harden, as we detailed on Sunday. The Nets will need to continue leaning on the reserve guard until Harden is ready to return, as Paul Schwartz of The New York Post writes. “Obviously James has something going on,” James said. “So I’m basically the other point guard besides Kyrie (Irving), so I’ve got to be ready to play at least a little bit. Who knows if it’s gonna be 30 minutes again, but I’ve got to be ready to go out there and lead the team in some capacity, and be ready to contribute.”

Nets Notes: Harden, Brown, Green, Kidd

June 5th, 2021 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

James Harden played in 128 postseason games during his time with the Thunder and Rockets, but he sees this year’s Nets team as his best chance to win an NBA title, writes Adam Zagoria of Forbes.

Harden is a former MVP and a nine-time All-Star, but he has developed a reputation for coming up short in the playoffs. Many of his losses came against loaded teams like the Warriors and Lakers, but now he’s part of an immensely talented team in Brooklyn.

“Obviously, there’s only a handful of teams that have an opportunity,” Harden said. “And we’re one of those teams this year. So the excitement is there, but I think just the focus is the most important thing for myself. And just trying to rub that focus level and that engagement to detail into every one of my teammates.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Bruce Brown is ready for the challenge of trying to slow down the Bucks, who were the NBA’s top scoring team during the regular season, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The defensive specialist will match up with Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton during the series and may be called on to help with Giannis Antetokounmpo.“It’s three-level scorers that can do a little bit of everything, get everybody involved. No team’s been better offensively this year, so really we’re just trying to be physical with them and try to limit their game,” Brown said. “We know what Giannis can do, we know what they can do, so try to be physical and try to limit their opportunities and make it tough.”
Jeff Green has been ruled out for tonight’s Game 1 with a left plantar fascia strain, but the Nets are hoping he’ll be available later in the series, Lewis adds in a separate story. Coach Steve Nash said the team considers Green day-to-day. “Just gonna continue to monitor it and then over the course of the next two, three days, hopefully get a clearer picture,” Nash said. “He’s working out. … I shouldn’t comment on that because in case I get it wrong, but I definitely see him with our strength and conditioning team and performance team, doing his thing.”
With Jason Kidd being considered for head coaching jobs in Portland and possibly Boston, Howie Kussoy of The New York Post looks at what went wrong during his time in charge of the Nets and Bucks and how both franchises became successful after he left.

Atlantic Notes: Green, Knicks Offseason, Embiid

June 4th, 2021 at 5:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets forward Jeff Green will miss Game 1 of the conference semifinals series with the Bucks due to a left plantar fascia strain, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Green is one of the primary options to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and he’s considered day-to-day beyond Saturday’s game, according to another Lewis tweet. “He wasn’t necessarily earmarked to guard Giannis but we’ll miss him in a number of ways,” coach Steve Nash said. Green hasn’t played since Game 2 of the opening-round series against Boston.

We have more on the Atlantic Division teams:

In the aftermath of their first-round exit against Atlanta, the Knicks can start taking bigger steps to contention, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. They have youth in their rotation, five first-round picks in the next three years and nearly $60MM in salary-cap space, which should lead to a brighter future if team president Leon Rose converts those assets into impact players.
Determining whether Julius Randle can truly be the centerpiece of the team and which of their own free agents to bring back are among the questions hovering over the Knicks this offseason. Newsday’s Steve Popper takes a look at five issues confronting the front office this summer.
While it seems unlikely Joel Embiid will suit up for Game 1 against the Hawks on Sunday, coach Doc Rivers hasn’t ruled out the possibility, according to an Associated Press report. The Sixers All-Star center has a small meniscus tear in his right knee. “He’s got to go through his treatment,” Rivers said. “As far as when we were doing shooting and stuff like that, he looked great. It’s too early (to rule him out).”

Nets Notes: Irving, Supporting Cast, Green, Harris

May 29th, 2021 at 7:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Friday’s loss showed that the Nets need contributions from their entire Big Three to be effective, writes Steve Serby of The New York Post. Making his return to Boston, Kyrie Irving shot 6 for 17 from the field and handed out just two assists in 41 minutes as Brooklyn suffered its first playoff loss with the star-filled lineup.

Boston fans have been waiting a long time to vent their anger at Irving, who left in free agency in 2019 after indicating that he planned to sign a long-term deal with the Celtics. He expressed negative comments about his time in Boston to the media this week, so it’s possible he was distracted by the experience during Game 3.

“I don’t want to necessarily make any conclusions that it was because of all the other chatter and the fans and all that,” coach Steve Nash said. “That’s a question for Ky. We know how good he is, we know that he can handle that environment, and we know that he can play much better in Game 4.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Brooklyn’s supporting cast also came up short in Game 3, notes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Kevin Durant, James Harden and Irving combined for 96 of the Nets’ 119 points, and the team had only 16 assists on 38 made shots. “I thought for big portions we got a little stagnant,” Nash said. “We got away from our movement. I thought James was scoring in isolation, Kevin was scoring in isolation, but I still think that we can be more difficult to guard in general if we move the ball and get to isolations as a second resort.”
Some of the spacing issues were caused by the absence of Jeff Green, who may miss the rest of the series with a foot injury, states Chris Milholen of NetsDaily. With one less shooter on the court, the Celtics were more willing to double team Durant and throw traps at Irving.
Joe Harris talks to Mike Mazzeo of Forbes about how he was able to resurrect his NBA career after being traded by the Cavaliers and waived by the Magic following season-ending foot surgery in 2016.

Jeff Green Out At Least 10 Days Due To Foot Injury

May 27th, 2021 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets will be without a regular rotation player for at least the next week and a half, according to head coach Steve Nash, who announced today that Jeff Green has suffered a strained plantar fascia and will be reevaluated in 10 days (Twitter link via Malika Andrews of ESPN).

Green suffered the injury, initially diagnosed as a bruised left foot, during the second quarter of the Nets’ Game 2 win over the Celtics on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old has been a reliable contributor in Brooklyn this season, averaging 11.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .492/.412/.776 shooting in 68 regular season games (27.0 MPG). Still, while Green is an important part of the Nets’ rotation, the team can probably get by without him for the time being, having taken the first two games of its series against Boston in fairly convincing fashion.

Depending on how Nash juggles his rotation, Green’s absence could result in more minutes for players like Blake Griffin, Nicolas Claxton, Bruce Brown, and/or Landry Shamet. If Green’s absence doesn’t extend beyond 10 days and Brooklyn advances, he should be available for most of the club’s second-round series.