” I come as a rookie and it suits me very well to be in charge of the dirty work “, dropped Josh Green in November 2020, a few days after his selection by the Mavs. Almost a year and a half after this statement, we can say that the 18th pick has remained faithful to this philosophy.
After a discreet rookie season under Rick Carlisle (2.6 points on average in 39 appearances), the native of Sydney is more in demand by Jason Kidd this year.
His offensive performance remains minimal (4.5 points) but he has the merit of having increased all his success percentages. ” With my current role in the team, it’s not about coming in and shooting 10 to 15 times a night, he explains to ESPN. In some games I would have six or seven shots and others only one shot. The offensive aspect will come.“
His 14 minutes of play, he gets them first for his involvement on the other side of the field. Now used as a “role player”, the former Arizona player has the athletic qualities and the length to contain the opposing backs.
An impact in defense
His defensive impact can be seen in the stats. Among the most used rotation players, he has the best “defensive rating” of the team (100.5 points conceded out of 100 possessions when he is in play) and one of the best “net rating” (+7 ,3 points).
” It’s weird because I’ve always been known for my attack and not so much for my defenseadmits the interested party. My defense was kind of a weakness for me. As for the attack, I will find my rhythm and it will become easier, it’s just a matter of time.“
His evolution in the league and his profile would almost remind, to a lesser extent, of a certain Matisse Thybulle, his compatriot. The two men were selection partners last summer at the Tokyo Olympics.
An experience on which the Mavs player was counting on before his second year with the Mavs. He first had to find his place in a very dense Australian workforce.
” As I am one of the youngest on the team, I have to wait my turn with the Boomers. I was able to learn a lot from the old ones, Joe (English), Delly (Matthew Dellavedova) Patty (Mills), (Aron) Baynes, all those guys. I knew they had to cut players, but I didn’t want it to be me. I didn’t just sit there watching who I could beat. In the end, the coach was going to take the 12 guys he thought could help win a medal.“
Play on a winning team
A mission accomplished with the bronze won after a victory against Slovenia by Luka Doncic, his club teammate. Unlike the Slovenian star, Josh Green had little opportunity to shine there. Over the whole competition, he only played 15 minutes. But he learned a lot.
” The whole culture of Boomers is knowing that it doesn’t take just one person to win a championship or go farsummarizes the back, always in regular contact with his “ brothers ” Selection. It is no coincidence that there are five positions. It doesn’t matter if you shoot or not, there’s so much in basketball that a lot of people can’t see and it all starts in practice, before the game.“
Today, he intends to put this Olympic experience at the service of his club. ” I play for the Dallas Mavericks. I play for a playoff team. A team that aims to go as far as possible in the playoffs. I want to play but I want to be part of a winning franchise. If that means biding my time and making sure I have a role in the team, then that’s my goal. It was really frustrating at times but there is always a positive in everything.“
| Josh Green | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2020-21 | DAL | 39 | 11 | 45.2 | 16.0 | 56.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| 2021-22 | DAL | 42 | 14 | 50.7 | 29.4 | 71.4 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 4.4 |
| Total | 81 | 13 | 48.5 | 23.7 | 65.5 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 3.5 | |
