Welcome to the party Gerald Green

The Gerald Green experience looks like it’s here to stay. After racking up the DNP-CDs for the majority of the season, Green finally got some serious run the past two games, and he has done exactly what he needed to do: get buckets.

In his last two games Green has shot 62.5% from the field, and he has even corralled 4.5 rpg. When the Celtics had to make a decision on who to keep for their last roster spot, Green seemed to never be part of the consideration. The reason? The idea of having a microwave scorer like Green as a secret weapon on the bench outweighed trying to develop two young wings who have not been able to produce anything consistent in their last two season.

Originally, it appeared that the Celtics were hoping that Rozier would elevate to the next level, but after a month in which his shooting plummeted and his struggles running an offense continued, the Celtics shifted their focus to developing the second unit around Marcus Smart, which called for shooters—and Green has spent much of his career doing a whole lot of shooting. As Isaiah Thomas told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald,

“[h]e’s one of the best scorers I’ve seen in the NBA, whether it be practice or games, it only takes one shot for him to feel like he’s on fire….What he did (last night), that’s what he does. I mean, he comes off the bench and gives a spark and he gives us energy.”

Of course, his role in the rotation could be fluid. Brad Stevens could decide tomorrow that he needs Rozier’s ball handling for a specific matchup. Also, Green isn’t going to shoot at this level every time he gets an extended run. But with the focus of the second unit seeming to be more length and shooting, opportunities will be plentiful, and Green is already proving he’s ready to cash in.