:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/22415687/165143646.0.jpg)
Well this should be fun. Let the Jeff Green discussions begin anew. Brad Stevens decided that his team's best chance to win was to leave Green on the bench for the entire fourth quarter.
Rapid Reaction: Pistons 87, Celtics 77 - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston
Celtics forward Jeff Green, who is supposed to be Boston's focal point on offense, didn't play over the final 14:41. Green finished with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting with two rebounds and two assists over 20:06. He was a minus-8 in plus/minus. Likewise, big man Vitor Faverani played only 18 minutes as the C's went with smaller lineups after early struggles inside.
Faverani I can understand if he was looking to go with a smaller lineup. But Jeff Green is supposed to be one of our best players and one of the few guys that can generate offense (when he's feeling it).
So what gives?
BS said the lineup late in the game, when Green was out, was "just based on who I felt like was playing well at the time."
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) November 4, 2013
I'll say this. I watched the game a little out of order tonight. I saw the first half, then came back for the final (horrific) minutes and learned about the Green "benching" (if you want to call it that) and I went back and watched the rest of the 2nd half. So I can tell you that the Celtics were down 10 points when Green exited and they played the best basketball of the game during that stretch (right up until the aforementioned horrific end). So I think I can understand why Stevens might have wanted to go with the hot hands.
With that said, it is odd that Green wasn't given another chance to get in there and help keep the momentum going. I'm not sure how he's going to react to being left cold for a whole quarter. Here's his (non) reaction.
Jeff Green on not being in late in the game: "That was (Coach Stevens') decision."
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) November 4, 2013
Obviously nobody likes losing. We know this team isn't supposed to be all that good. But so far this year we've had guys questioning the effort, questioning the motivations of players ("egos" looking to "pad stats") and now we've had one of the top players sat down for a 4th quarter. I don't think things are going so well so far.