Peter Vecsey has a look at old friend Gerald Green today (hat tip TrueHoop):
"Gerald Green's response was positively bizarre. Instead of blaming the Celtics, Timberwolves and Rockets for his exile, he committed to strengthening his weaknesses. Providentially, he found a coach willing to throw him a profession preserver. Green had played well against some of Rick Carlisle's teams; his hiring by the Mavs coincided with Dallas' craving a player or three with more bounce to the ounce.
'The dunk contest hurt Gerald,' Carlisle said yesterday by phone. The same can be said for Harold (Baby Jordan) Minor, who prevailed twice, in 1993 and '95. 'People looked at (Green) more as a side show than a real professional basketball player. He realized that and was willing to do something to change the perception. He was ready to do what had to be done.'
At the beginning of last summer, Carlisle defined what that entailed. Green hungrily co-signed the project, to upgrade his defense -- footwork, balance and strength -- and develop a practiced approach to the game.
'Gerald always shot well. It's just that his jumper got overlooked because everyone was concentrating on his jumping,' Carlisle said. 'He lacked consistency in other areas. To this point, that's what I'm seeing.'"