Greener Pastures

I always thought there was something fishy about Jeff Green when I saw him guarding Kobe Bryant and hocking up 3 balls. Given the lack of airtime OKC got I didn't know too much about him. Just today I was listening on NBA.com in a discussion about the future of OKC and they said he was a 3 playing the 4 spot. Now, by all means he would be a valuable young 3 for most teams, but with KD finding his groove there, it seems unlikely that Jeff will be getting many minutes at the 3. What OKC need is a scoring PF. Jeff Green isn't going to be that guy, and with KD playing so many minutes he won't be having an impact off the bench if he moved to backup SF.

So then I got thinking, and it occurred to me that Green would be a perfect fit for the T'Wolves. It seems that Minnesota won't be successful without a true C, and Jefferson isn't it. He is undersized and would get eaten alive in the Playoffs in the West at that position. With Kevin Love (another PF) looking to get better and being more of a triangle PF, a trade of Green for Jefferson would be a great fit. It would allow Minnesota options in the draft. With Green and Love locked in at the 3 and 4, Flynn manning the point until Ricky gets over here they have options at the number 4 pick, 16, and 23. With Jefferson traded, they will have a very young core which can develop together and be a threat in years to come.

So let's look at their options at the 4; it comes down to a C or SG. Wesley Johnson or Demarcus Cousins could be a great fit at those positions. However, Cousins has a few red flags, and the culture at the T'Wolves probably won't inspire him to straighten out. Johnson is ready to ball right away, and has already played well with Johnny Flynn at Syracuse in the past. With the 16 pick they can take either a project like Hassan Whiteside or Daniel Orton. Cole Aldrich would be perfect but it is unlikely that he will fall that far. If they draft Cousins with the 4 then someone like Damion James could be the perfect fit for the 2-guard. With his reliance on the mid-range jumper, a highly efficient shooting percentage and a defensive mindset he could be part of an OKC-like turnaround in just a few years.

Either of these lineups would be great to watch in the future, and could easily threaten for a playoff spot in a few years;

PG - Rubio/Flynn
SG - Johnson
SF - Green
PF - Love
C - Whiteside

or

PG - Flynn
SG - James
SF - Green
PF - Love
C - Cousins.

However, OKC seems committed to keeping its young core together. But of these young picks, Green seems the most likely to be moved.