Josh Green has no problem admitting it.
He’s seen the last month as clearly as anybody else. Up until Feb. 12, Green was shooting 43.1 percent from three-point land and averaging 9.4 points, mostly as an energy-driving sixth man for the Mavericks.
Since Feb. 12, he had been averaging 6.1 points and shooting 33.3 percent from distance in nine games.
Until Saturday.
Pressed into starting duty because of injuries, Green responded with 21 points and a season-best 10 rebounds, along with four assists.
It was a welcomed night to give Green hope that he is breaking free from a lackluster stretch of games.
“Everybody hits a wall,” Green said after the 112-108 loss at Memphis. “No matter what you do in life. Everybody hits a wall. But you learn from it. I’m not mad about what’s happening. Obviously, it’s very frustrating at times. But I know one through 15, they trust me. I trust the coaches. The coaches trust me.
“It’s about figuring it out. Getting through stages like this, it’s important. It builds you as a player. I’m glad it happened.”
Well, maybe not giddy-happy. But appreciative of the learning process.
And his play alongside Jaden Hardy against the Grizzlies was another sign – they have come periodically this season – that the pair have a good future together as key pieces of a future rotation or, perhaps, starting lineup.
“I thought Josh had a great game in the sense of being able to run the offense and also playing off of Hardy,” coach Jason Kidd said. “And we asked him to guard (Xavier) Tillman in the second half and he did a good job of rebounding and keeping Tillman off the glass. Tillman had five offensive rebounds in the first.”
He only had one in the second half.
And his overall performance showed something about Green’s resolve, Kidd said.
“When you talk about Josh, every minute is one more than he’s ever played,” Kidd said. “He just has to go through that. He’s a young player. He got off to an incredible start and it’s nothing against the trade, it’s just (that) he has to play a different role. He’s making that adjustment.
“I don’t know if there’s a third-year wall, but just understanding that he’s probably touched it mentally and physically. And that he has to work through it. This is new territory for a young player like him. He just has to go through it and we all believe he’s going to be just fine, if not better.”
Based on Saturday, the odds seem good.
Here’s a few other takeaways from the loss at Memphis:
MAKING AN IMPACT: Grizzlies’ rookie David Roddy has flown mostly under the radar in his first NBA season, but he was more than just a blip on the screen Saturday night. The Colorado State product hit four of seven three-pointers and scored 24 points, easily his season high for a guy that came in averaging six points and 16 minutes per game. He also was just a 28.1 percent three-point shooter, but peppered the Mavericks from long range. Roddy had 17 of his points in the fourth quarter, which the Grizzlies won 35-25.
ROOKIE MISTAKES: Everybody is intrigued about Jaden Hardy’s potential as he has flashed strong moments in his rookie season. But there’s no getting around the fact that he’s a rookie and he has to make mistakes to learn. His two turnovers in the fourth quarter were costly. But they came out of aggressive moves to the rim and for that, he deserves a lot of leeway. The Mavericks had only 11 turnovers in the game, but four of them were in the fourth quarter (for eight Memphis points). Hardy had 22 points, but he made just one of four free throws and needed 21 shots from the field to get those 22 points. It’s going to be a mixed bag for most rookies. But it’s hard not to like what the Hardy has shown when he’s gotten chances this season.
REMATCH, ANYBODY? The Mavericks and Grizzlies will meet again on Monday at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks learned a thing or two from Saturday’s match, during which they tested Memphis shot-blocker Jaren Jackson Jr. They got rejected a couple of times, but as the game went on, they figured out some things – things that hopefully will help them in the rematch. “He’s going to come every time to challenge,” Kidd said of Jackson, who leads the NBA at 3.2 blocks per game. “Once you can draw him, you got to be able to find the next guy. I thought they did a great job after trying to see if they could score on him and it didn’t go well, they continued to understand when the ball touched the paint, they found the open guy.” Words to live by come Monday.
Twitter: @ESefko
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