Hey Steve, sorry I haven’t been on the boards lately. Been reading your articles though (as usual very well written and researched).

In this particular instance, I think you’re picking on Carlisle’s comment too much. Yes, Green definitely earned a poor reputation among Boston fans because he was simply a bad basketball player. But Carlisle is using some impressive rhetoric here, something that I think any smart coach would do when trying to motivate their players. He’s speaking to the press about Gerald in a way that inspires confidence in Green when he hears these comments, knowing that he still has a chance to improve and that he’s not a bad basketball player. There is no harm in what Carlisle is doing, and he has a lot to gain from it, while also saying that Green must do something himself about it. I’d be willing to bet that Rick has been putting his own pressure on Gerald to succeed and hasn’t been preaching the exact same rhetoric to him. He can tell the press whatever he wants in order for Gerald to gain the most of his abilities, but speak to Gerald about his game very different i.e. “you are not just here to provide dunks, you’re here to be a complete basketball player, and we’ll give you that opportunity, but if you don’t work hard at it and improve then you’re out.”

Bottom line is, I like that Carlisle is sticking up for his young player, inspiring future confidence in him in the public sphere. Belichick does the same things with his players (look at Matt Cassel). Let’s just hope it works. He has freakishly athletic talent. Would hate to see it go to waste.

Gerald just needed to grow up, in every way. His biggest mistake was entering the draft right out of school. Two years at OK State would have done wonders for him.

Gerald while being a pretty darn athletic player doesn’t have the footspeed to guard other guards efficiently. Geralds own fault for not going to college and building his body and other small plays they teach you there.

Gerald is a SF someday if he gains more pounds, his elevation won’t be affected. He iwll be a decent player one day

This just is another example of someone not being ready to tackle professional life right after high school. Maturity. Sometimes a wake-up call is due, and maybe after finding himself on the edge of an NBA career, Gerald grew up a little and realized that he had to put some work into this thing called the NBA. It’s good to hear that he is working toward becoming a professional. Gerald probably would of benefited by going to college. Basically what Brickowski said.

Brick is right. Green is a poster child of short term thinking. He got his quick million but lost millions in the long run by not going to college an learning how to play. Not only was Green 18, he also never went to a good high school program or stayed in one more than a year. All he ever got was AAU coaching which consisted of a bunch of leaches trying to get him to sign to this or that shoe company. He desparately needed time and patience. Had he gone to school for two or three years, Green still would have been a first rounder and instead of just trying to stay in the league at age 21, would be in the second year of his rookie contract and a productive player somewhere looking at big money in free agency.

amen brick and manzana big time. if gerald has grown up he will be productive. if not, i hope he knows how to hold onto his money because he got a lot of dough to show poor floor sense.

I hate to judge so early, but Patrick O’Bryant seems to have a very similar personality to Gerald- a bit lazy at times, gets down on himself. I do think winning the dunk contest was very bad for Gerald. He seemed to think he was somewhat of a celebrity after that, and all too frequently he would drive to the hoop in a lame attempt to reach the rim, which he hardly ever managed to do when he had a defender near him. In general, I think skills can be improved, but personalities don’t change very much. If Gerald’s head hasn’t been in the right place, that probably won’t change very much.

Gerald had NO BB IQ when he came to the Celtics. He had hops and a decent jumper. He couldn’t defend and often looked lost on the floor. The C’s were looking for something to hang their hat onto in an otherwise poor season, so Gerald went to the dunk contest.

Here’s hoping Gerald has learned some basketball basics in the last couple of years…

I hated to see him go but he earned his exit papers. Yes, he needed college but I’ll bet his lack of BB IQ extended way past BB. He may hang around because for all the intellectualizing about defense its still a league of putting the ball in the hole and he can do that. Think Todd Day.

Sounds like Carlisle is doing a good job to re-direct the kid…I would love to see him succeed..Todd Day , there’s a name I would like to forget…Todd did something most players can’t, keep both teams in a game..

Fastbreak, that’s fantastic. :D

Don’t forget that Carlisle, like Doc, could be using the media to motivate Gerald, or give him some cover. Whatever. Over time, I for one grew to believe the dunk contest certainly went to his head. He was immature. Good to hear he might be finally maturing. What a talent.

I think one major flaw in his game that is not mentioned here is his dribbling ability. He is just a poor dribbler in my opinion and has trouble taking his man off the dribble because of it. I don’t think he was ever able to take it to the rim easily only for the most part when he had an open lane. Many people by comparison are critical of Tony Allen’s dribbling ability but he is much better driving to the hoop with the ball. Part of that is his first step. Green either doesn’t have a very quick first step or just doesn’t know how to utilize it.

Another matter is his aggressiveness. For all his athleticism he had hardly any put back dunks off rebounds that I recall. I think part of it is that he has such a frail frame that he can only do so much about and gets pushed around in the paint. His frame was not ready for NBA basketball and still might not be. You can be wiry strong such as Reggie Lewis was and that is what he needs to work on. If he ever learned to move without the ball like Rip Hamilton that would cover some of dribbling deficiencies.

I wish GG well and hopefully he has improved.