Gerald Green, a 31-year-old swingman who carved out a decent career for himself by being a guy who does big sick dunks and hits threes at a decent clip, was released by the Milwaukee Bucks on the opening day of the season. Last Thursday, he signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Rockets, who were looking for someone to soak up some minutes while James Harden’s injured hamstring healed. All Green has done since then is kick ass.
In five games with the Rockets, Green is averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 56 percent from behind the arc, where he’s firing off almost eight shots per game. He went 7-of-10 from three and scored 27 points against the Magic on Wednesday night. Last night, in 33 minutes against the Warriors, he made 8 of his 15 three-point attempts and finished with 29 points. He also sent Kevin Harlan into some delightful spasms:
The best part about Green’s run of hot games is how clearly he’s enjoying himself. He was the the most captivating player on the floor last night, and after the game against the Magic he gave a postgame interview in which he could hardly contain his excitement at being able to play for his hometown team:
And to end the week on the highest note possible, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Rockets are going to guarantee Green’s contract for the rest of the year. May he enjoy spending the next few months jacking up threes at an unconscionable rate for a team that is asking him to do exactly that.