Green rookies lead in Memphis defeat

Josh Green has no problem admitting this.

He saw the last month as clearly as anyone else. Up until Feb. 12, Greene was shooting 43.1 percent from three-pointers and averaging 9.4 points, mostly as an energetic sixth man for the Mavericks.

Since February 12, he has averaged 6.1 points and shot 33.3% from long range in nine games.

Till Saturday.

Forced to start due to injuries, Green responded with 21 points and a season-best 10 rebounds, as well as four assists.

It was a long-awaited night that gave Green hope that he would be freed from a boring stretch of games.

“Everybody’s hitting the wall,” Greene said after losing 112-108 in Memphis. “Whatever you do in life. Everyone is hitting the wall. But you learn from it. I don’t get mad at what’s going on. It is understandable that this can be very annoying at times. But I know one in 15, they trust me. I trust the coaches. Coaches trust me.

“It’s about figuring it out. Going through these stages is very important. It builds you as a player. I’m glad it happened.”

Well, maybe not from dizziness. But thankful for the learning process.

And his performance alongside Jayden Hardy against the Grizzlies was another sign – they’ve appeared intermittently this season – that the pair have a bright future together as key elements of a future rotation or possibly a starting lineup.

“I think Josh had a great game in the sense that he could lead the offense and also beat Hardy,” said coach Jason Kidd. “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 grabbed five offensive rebounds in the first game.”

He only had one in the second half.

According to Kidd, his overall performance showed something of Green’s resolve.

“When you talk about Josh, every minute is one more than he’s ever played,” Kidd said. “He just has to get through it. He is a young player. He got off to a great start, and there’s nothing against trading in that, it’s just (that) he should play a different role. He makes this adjustment.

“I don’t know if a third-year wall exists, but I just understand that he probably touched it mentally and physically. And that he has to go through with it. This is new territory for a young player like him. He just needs to get through it and we all trust that he will be ok, if not better.”

Based on Saturday, the odds look good.

Here are some more takeaways from the Memphis defeat:

INFLUENCE: Grizzlies rookie David Roddy largely went unnoticed in his first season in the NBA, but on Saturday night he was more than just a flash on the screen. The Colorado State product hit four of seven 3-pointers and scored 24 points, a season-high for a guy who averaged six points and 16 minutes per game. He also had only 28.1 percent three-point shooting, but hit the Mavericks from long range. Roddy scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, which the Grizzlies won 35-25.

BEGINNER ERRORS: Everyone is intrigued by Jaden Hardy’s potential as he has shown strong moments in his rookie season. But you can not ignore the fact that he is a beginner and he has to make mistakes in order to learn. His two turnovers in the fourth quarter cost him dearly. But they got out of the aggressive moves towards the rim and for that he deserves a lot of leeway. The Mavericks only had 11 losses in the game, but four of them came in the fourth quarter (for eight Memphis points). Hardy had 22 points but only made one of four free throws and it took him 21 shots from the field to score those 22 points. This will be a mixed bag for most beginners. But it’s hard not to love what Hardy showed when he had his chances this season.

REVATCH, ANYONE? The Mavericks and Grizzlies will meet again on Monday at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks learned something in Saturday’s game, during which they tested Memphis shot blocker Jaren Jackson Jr. They were rejected a couple of times, but as the game progressed, they realized something that, I hope, will help them. in revenge. “He’s going to come every time to challenge,” Kidd said of Jackson, who leads the NBA with 3.2 blocks per game. “Once you draw him, you can find the next guy. I think they did a great job after trying to see if they could score against him and it didn’t go well, they kept realizing when the ball touched the paint they found an open guy.” Words to live on Monday.

Twitter: @ESefko