An aside about Donte Greene's measurements and thoughts about his future role.

K

kingofthejungle

G-League
Draftexpress now has measurements for Donte Greene. Despite what I always suspected to be a relatively pedestrian wingspan, his 9 foot standing reach impressed me. Considering his age, the Kings letting Casspi go, and the fact that he only played one year of college ball, I'm wondering just how high the Kings are on Greene's chances of being a quality rotational player at minimum. Also, I expect that Salmons will have a bounce back year statistically as the Kings' offense appears potent, which may open up some trade options if the Kings feel that Greene is ready for a starters role. If Greene can solve his shooting issues and be more consistent, he seems to fit the profile that the Kings are looking for at SF.
 
I think Greene is Greene. Future development is necessary but may never happen. In light of the fact that we don't have a long term solution at the three, I think he has earned the opportunity to stay around as a backup for another season. Measurements are not his problem.
 
I'm rooting for Donte but I'm not sure if we will ever see him reach his potential. It would be nice though to have him in the Mateen Cleaves role just cuz he seems to really like being part of the team.
 
Enough about Donte already. Shooting is just one of his several deficiencies- he can't dribble, can't create his own shot, can't pass, doesn't run the floor well, get muscled around, isn't that athletic, inconsistent, and his defense, while above average, was greatly exaggerated. I'd call him the next Michael Curry but that's insulting to Michael Curry.

At this point, let's hope the Kings savage something - like a second round pick; but most likely he'll be a throwaway in some sort package deal. Then bounce around for a couple more yrs before heading to China. I wish him luck, but there are many better wing players out there who dreamed of getting the chance that he got.
 
beb0p said:
Enough about Donte already. Shooting is just one of his several deficiencies- he can't dribble, can't create his own shot, can't pass, doesn't run the floor well, get muscled around, isn't that athletic, inconsistent, and his defense, while above average, was greatly exaggerated. I'd call him the next Michael Curry but that's insulting to Michael Curry.

At this point, let's hope the Kings savage something - like a second round pick; but most likely he'll be a throwaway in some sort package deal. Then bounce around for a couple more yrs before heading to China. I wish him luck, but there are many better wing players out there who dreamed of getting the chance that he got.
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Someone's bitter about losing Omri.
 
Greene has a case of Douby-itis. He does well in games that don't matter at all, but when the game counts (i.e. regular season) he stinks up the joint.

Give him one more year, if he still sucks then just cut him loose. He's not worth investing in if he can't even do what Petrie brought him here to do.
 
Somebody tell me one outstanding thing Greene does, one evidence of NBA excellence and consistent play. He blocked Kobe's shot ONCE and then jumped up and down like he'd made play of the year. When he makes a 3 on rare occassion and supposedly his strength coming out of college, he clowns and flashes three fingers - even if Kings are losing or in garbage time. The guy is full of himself too much which is maybe ok on the bench as head cheerleader but he's often distracted by the crowd, not even paying attention to what's going on in the huddle during timeouts. Donte = mediocrity (until he proves otherwise)
 
Donte has had his chance and didn't step up. What you see is what you get. An end of the bench player and not in the team's future.
 
There are some very harsh comments here. I agree he hasn't done near enough so far. Quite simply, this is his last year to show people he's worthy of being in the NBA, and if he doesn't take the opportunity with both hands he'll be out the door. I'm sure he'll stick around for a few more years in the league but if he doesn't really start to work and take things seriously, his career in the US is over.
 
kingofthejungle said:
Draftexpress now has measurements for Donte Greene. Despite what I always suspected to be a relatively pedestrian wingspan, his 9 foot standing reach impressed me. Considering his age, the Kings letting Casspi go, and the fact that he only played one year of college ball, I'm wondering just how high the Kings are on Greene's chances of being a quality rotational player at minimum. Also, I expect that Salmons will have a bounce back year statistically as the Kings' offense appears potent, which may open up some trade options if the Kings feel that Greene is ready for a starters role. If Greene can solve his shooting issues and be more consistent, he seems to fit the profile that the Kings are looking for at SF.
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I think its hard to do what you just did and work off the assumption that Donte has a guaranteed future. Coming off such a poor third year, if he does, it may very well just be at a roleplayer. Now in the short term, as in this season, what he does, besides bring chemistry, is obviously play as a defender and on and off energizer. But that on and off has to become more consistent. In particular this upcoming season our current SF duo are both just blown up SGs (Salmons and Cisco) and are going to be vulnerable to getting their *** kicked by full grown SFs who are built as if they actually went through puberty. When a Melo comes to town and starts using his 30-40lb weight advantage in the post against our little SGs, Donte could have a role as a big defensive spot player to try to slow that down. Our only guy of that nature at that position. But long term? Donte is going to have to take a step forward this year in several areas just to secure a long term role as a main rotation player, let alone be given a starting spot. To become an eventual roleplaying starter he'd need to take the defense from good to flat out great, and then at least be able to conistently knock down a feet set three. That would make him a big version of a Battier or Bowen -- that's basically all that type of player has to do. To become something more, a major solution starter...well there you are looking at him having to get a true hold of every bit of his potential, and it just hasn't happened at all yet. I wouldn't hold my breath expecting that to happen.


As an aside here, a number of people have taken Donte hatred to really weird levels, So I should just note this: last year Donte, perhaps because he was unselfish, often played a glue sort of role that people should have more respect for. Despite anemic individual numbers, he not only had a positive +/- but the Kings as a whole not only played better defense when he was out there, they played better OFFENSE as well. That needs to be digested a bit before the next round of "he sucks" posts. We were 1.8pts better per 100 possessions on defense when he was on the court, and 0.8pts better per 100 possessions on offense. ( source 82games.com ) And when you see that with a guy with anemic numbers, its often a sign that he is playing glue guy, doing the little things, defending, moving the ball, running the court, and just generally finding ways to help despite his own shaky skill package. Doesn't make him the future anything, but it does have a tendency to scuttle claims that he was killing us out there. Sometimes just being unselfish and doing the little things can have value, in particular on a team with a ton of offensive minded guys. It was something Donte seemed to be getting last year, and that Omri did not.
 
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I think Donte is what he is and I don't expect we'll see any big jumps in his game at this point, just gradual improvement. The way I see it, guys that are game changing superstars are generally highly effective their rookie year. Outside of prep-to-pros guys like Kobe and Garnett, you generally know right away that a guy has a chance to be a great from the beginning of their career. Guys who can be very good players often struggle that first season but show flashes and make a huge leap their second year. Solid roleplayers may take a couple seasons to transition from being a star at the HS/NCAA level but generally find their way in their third season.

In Donte's case there's some hope that he will still be a solid roleplayer but he still doesn't seem to "get it" in a number of ways. And honestly, from the outside looking in it seems like that's because he doesn't have the burning desire to be a great player or even just to make big gains in the summer through hard work. You give a young guy a pass during the season because they have to go with what skills they have that are already effective. But the summer is where they should look at their weaknesses and focus on improving. And I haven't seen any of that from Donte. He hasn't come back with a better handle, better shooting, better conditioning etc. I really think he's content just being an NBA player and enjoying that rather than striving to be the best that he can.

I hope he can settle into a role as a spot up shooter and defender but even that is a bit much to count on right now. I'd certainly love to see it and I'd happily eat my words if he comes back much improved, but we'll see.
 
Between Donte and Omri, neither is a starter SF. Not within another 2 or 3 years, probably.
Keeping Donte over Omri is a decision that I fully support.

Omri is thinks too much of himself and probably think he's worth starter minutes but his talent is not even close yet! So keeping him as backup SF may not be beneficial to his performance.

Donte, IMO, has the cooler head to play a bench SF. He ain't got a big ego but sometimes it's just so small that when he gets a chance to play on court, the guy seems to be so honored and too cheerful instead of being focused to win.

If only Donte can live up to his potential, a long, defense capable SF, who can hit from beyond the arc, drive to the hoop, and bring a serious gamemanship, then Kirilenko, Battier, Prince, or Salmons won't be in the picture these days!
 
I'm really hoping Donte starts to grow up. These past few years, he's been mostly goofing around, making funny videos, laughing on the bench, etc. He has the talent to be really good and Petrie saw something in him. Wish we had a veteran that would take him under his wing and teach him how to be professional and how to come to play.
 
Donte will never hurt a team.

That's a major part of being Donte. He is good in the locker room in that he causes no problems. Hey, this is the guy who Cousins went after in a fight and there have been no repercussions to the team that I know of.

The most optimistic side of me sees a happy go lucky guy happy to make far more money than he could have dreamed of hanging out with a bunch of tall guys. I suspect he keeps the locker room loose. What I hope for with the accent on "hope" is that something clicks in him when the team gets better. He seems directionless, witness how he entered training camp last year trying to do a Shawn Kemp imitation. Perhaps if a winning tradition develops with the Kings, he will see that he can contribute. Right now he doesn't seem to have a clue and perhaps doesn't care.

I think it was written yesterday that he is a great 10-12th player on a team because he waves a towel well and could spend many years with the Kings OR be one of the throw ins on a bigger trade. I like Donte, I would have a beer with Donte, I'd also be frustrated beyond belief that such a man hasn't done more with the physical skills he seems to have. Committ to defense, Donte. We need ya.

Picture me not holding my breath.
 
I love Donte. Always have. He is a very easy player and person to like if you just take him for what he is.

If you spend all your time killing him for his work ethic or laziness then your going to hate him, and I wouldnt blame you for that. I do think it is slightly early to totally write him off though.

We have seen flashes. I may be alone here, but when Donte starts this team has a different feel, a little bit of an unknown 'edge'. The team feels more upbeat when he is on the court with the main guys .. but maybe thats just me watching the game through my Donte Greene goggles. I'm not saying he has done enough to justify starting him 82 games, because he hasnt .. but I do think the way we have treated him overall is kind of ****ty.

More than any other player I can remember, he has been jerked all around the lineup since his rookie year, and here is the thing about him .. He doesnt play bad. He very very rarely kills you. Maybe he isnt filling up the stat sheet, maybe he isnt always scoring or whatever, but you can never really point to him and say "man he's killing us tonight". You could say that about Omri. You can say that about Cousins and Evans (Obviously they have bigger roles .. ) but even for the other role players .. they can really sink your team for a game. Donte doesnt do that. Some nights he wont be as effective as others, but he wont sink you.

Thats why he gets jerked in and out of the rotation so much. When he's on he's helping and when he's off he is just there, not hurting or helping, just there. And Westphal tends to look for instant impact at every position rather then solid roleplaying with the occasional big impact game. Its frustrating to watch him get benched, because he rarely deserves it. He'll make a mistake another player makes 100 times and will get benched for two months.

I hope for the best with Donte, and I DO think he will get a shot this year as the third SF. Cisco WILL go down at some point, and that will probly be Donte's last stand to secure a long term role with this team. If not, I do think he can help some other team that has a coach who will be more patient with him.
 
KingsCitizen said:
Between Donte and Omri, neither is a starter SF. Not within another 2 or 3 years, probably.
Keeping Donte over Omri is a decision that I fully support.

Omri is thinks too much of himself and probably think he's worth starter minutes but his talent is not even close yet! So keeping him as backup SF may not be beneficial to his performance.

Donte, IMO, has the cooler head to play a bench SF. He ain't got a big ego but sometimes it's just so small that when he gets a chance to play on court, the guy seems to be so honored and too cheerful instead of being focused to win.

If only Donte can live up to his potential, a long, defense capable SF, who can hit from beyond the arc, drive to the hoop, and bring a serious gamemanship, then Kirilenko, Battier, Prince, or Salmons won't be in the picture these days!
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This is honestly how I see Donte too. There is such a thing as being too nice and Donte has this too-nice-itude in spades.
 
No more of this goon squad stuff please. We are a young team serious on competing and growing into a contender. DG really kills the competitive spirit in my opinion. He needs to get serious and stop goofing off on the bench and focus on the game.
 
Lockehead said:
No more of this goon squad stuff please. We are a young team serious on competing and growing into a contender. DG really kills the competitive spirit in my opinion. He needs to get serious and stop goofing off on the bench and focus on the game.
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While it is true that one can also goof off too much, one can also get too serious (the Japanese mindset). I think our team can find a happy medium. We managed to be pretty damn good even with all that "Bench Mob stuff"
 
beb0p said:
Enough about Donte already. Shooting is just one of his several deficiencies- he can't dribble, can't create his own shot, can't pass, doesn't run the floor well, get muscled around, isn't that athletic, inconsistent, and his defense, while above average, was greatly exaggerated. I'd call him the next Michael Curry but that's insulting to Michael Curry.

At this point, let's hope the Kings savage something - like a second round pick; but most likely he'll be a throwaway in some sort package deal. Then bounce around for a couple more yrs before heading to China. I wish him luck, but there are many better wing players out there who dreamed of getting the chance that he got.
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I tried to keep an open mind about your opinions till you questioned his athleticism.
 
Doesn't run the floor well and gets muscled around (at least by SFs) weren't exactly gems either given that he has been one of our best fastbreak finishers and quite efective muscling guys like Artest on defense.
 
Lockehead said:
No more of this goon squad stuff please. We are a young team serious on competing and growing into a contender. DG really kills the competitive spirit in my opinion. He needs to get serious and stop goofing off on the bench and focus on the game.
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I think some of us put way too much emphasis on whether we like a person's personality and try to apply that to their actual game. Salmons is too religious and aloof. Donte is too goofy. This is an image and personal preference issue. Not a job performance issue. It's only job related when the people in the locker room say it's a problem.

I would love for the coaching staff to just give Donte a defined role and I think he'd be fine sliding right into it and begin to excel. I think he needs direction as opposed to telling him to just go out and win the job. Rick Adelman and Phil Jackson are masters at pushing the right buttons. Donte needs a button pushed because the physical skills are there.
 
Greene is overrated as hell in these parts...And has been since we got him.

The guy still has all the potential in the world, is still young, and really does have the right attitude RE: how he fits in on this team. But on the court he doesnt do much. His defense really isnt that great, it just looks good next to everyone else on our D-less squad.

I'm still rooting for him to succeed. Just not very optimistic of that happening.

I wouldnt be surprised to see Honeycutt leapfrog him in the rotation next season (whenever next season is)...

...Then again with coach Westphal, I'm not surprised by anything rotation wise.
 
he has the potential and always shows flashes of him being our ideal SF...Hopefully he grows up this year and works hard.
 
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Bricklayer said:
Ah, the beauty of hihglight reels -- turns out we got Lebron. :p
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Examples from highlight reels are the reason that Greene is still around. He teases you just enough, to keep you on the hook. I know, there's that part of me, that on an emotional level, is very attached to Donte. The problem is, I could make more lowlight reels than highlight reels from Donte's career. I acknowledge that Donte hasn't been dealt a fair hand. Neither has Thompson. Perhaps its not ironic that the two are best friends. They have a lot in common. Both have had multiple head coaches and both have been asked to play multiple positions, while the system, and cast around them constantly changes, and in some cases competes for their spot in the rotation.

I try to stay detached from players emotionally, but in some cases its just impossible. Donte is a very likable guy. And I seriously doubt that he has much, if any, negative impact on the team. At least from a lockerroom inspirational point of view. But with results on the floor? Yes! And thats the major problem. Inconsistentcy! Great in one game, and not visable in the next. No, he's not a great ballhandler or passer of the basketball. No, he's not a good rebounder. Matter of fact, for his size, his rebounding should be embarrasing. But here's the killer. The Kings are asking him to do just two things. Play defense, and hit the occasional spot up shot. And do it every night.

It seems that they're so impressed with his defensive potential, that they're willing to overlook some major flaws in his game. Particularly his rebounding. Now to my mind, thats a huge, "Go directly to GO" card. So I say to Donte, find a couple of spots on the floor you like. And shoot about 1000 shots a day from those spots untill you can hit that shot in your sleep. Don't try to be a playmaker, and don't have visions of being an offensive star. Just get damm good at doing a couple of things, and your career will have a jumpstart. So I'm pulling for Donte. But at the same time, he needs to know in the deep dark recesses of his mind, that his career is at the brink, and he can't kick the can down the road anymore.
 
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