Green holds “ship” together
When Will Barton and DeMarcus Cousins exchanged their verbal jousts midway through the third quarter of Game 2, the most experienced NBA player on Denver’s roster was there to clean up the mess.
Longtime veteran Jeff Green got into Barton’s face and then turned his attention to Cousins only moments later.
In that moment, as the Golden State Warriors were pummeling Denver’s defense, exposing a withering offense, and running the Nuggets into the ground, Green implored his teammates not to fracture as they barreled toward a 2-0 deficit in their first-round playoff series.
“We have to try to finish off in a productive way, and that’s not breaking apart the ship,” said Green of what he shared in that fragile moment. He reminded his teammates the score didn’t matter. It was their composure and pride — signals to the Warriors that they were still a cohesive unit — that carried far more weight.
It’s instances like that, when Green has proved time and again that he’s an invaluable voice in the locker room, that have etched the 14-year veteran’s name into NBA history and kept him in demand with successful organizations.
In Game 1, Green became the first player in league history to play for eight different playoff teams in his career. Before the Nuggets took on the Warriors in Game 1, Green was tied with James Edwards and Nazr Mohammed for most teams ever represented in the playoffs.
The Denver Post asked Green what that record means to him.
“That I’m a (expletive) winner,” Green responded. “That’s what it means. It means that I do whatever it takes to help my team out. I’ve been doing it in a very productive way in order for whatever team I’m on to make the playoffs.
“I always tell people, this league’s all about timing and opportunity,” he continued. “Even though I have that record, everybody looks at how many teams I was on, they think of it as a negative. It’s all about timing. … I’ve adapted to every situation, and I’ve done whatever it takes to help my team out.”
So, yes, even if Green is on the 11th team of his career, the playoff belt is a significant point of pride.
When Green signed with the Nuggets this offseason, the 35-year-old had no idea he’d be slated for 63 starts, the most since his 2013-14 season with Boston. Owing to Michael Porter Jr.’s back injury that came just nine games into the season, Green assumed starting responsibilities alongside the league MVP. His production stayed consistent — doublefigure scoring for five of his last six teams — and Green quickly carved a role as one of the team’s elder voices.
“My job is to always be prepared and always being able to adapt in any given situation,” he said.
Back in San Francisco on Monday night, Green’s efforts to turn the temperature down on Denver’s tense bench led to a productive postgame meeting. The conversation, according to Green, was healthy.
“It’s not good to hold things in,” he said.