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When they completed the trade for former Rockets’ guard James Harden earlier this year, the Brooklyn Nets become a very top-heavy three-headed monster with Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving. The big three have already displayed great chemistry and an ability to score at a high clip when all of their stars are healthy, including a combined 90 points against the LA Clippers and 89 against the Atlanta Hawks. However, the hype around the three all-star level talents almost makes you forget that there are other players on Brooklyn’s roster. According to Steve Nash, there’s at least one guy that doesn’t get enough credit and could be the difference for this Nets team.
Nash Says Jeff Green Has Been ‘Voice of Reason’ for Nets
After the win over the Indiana Pacers, Nash commented on who he thought played an integral part in getting Brooklyn back on track. “I thought Jeff Green has been great for the guys,” Nash said to reporters via SNY “He spoke after the last game, he spoke today when they made their run in the second half and he’s definitely been a voice of reason for us this year I think in the locker room. He provides a lot with his experience and gets the respect he deserves. It’s gonna take a lot of guys stepping up and being the one that has to be the ignition on different nights. Sometimes with your voice, sometimes with your play and I just think that Jeff’s voice was important but the guys all stepped up and tried to ignite our performance and that is what it is going to take because it’s a collective energy, it’s a collective commitment and willingness to go the extra mile.”
Not only has Green been a great voice, but he’s also been doing well for himself on the court. Averaging 9.1 points per game on 49% shooting from the field and 41% from behind the arc. Coach Nash wasn’t the only one who felt his team was inspired by Green’s message. Nets’ forward Joe Harris spoke on what the veteran forward said to his guys in the locker room.
“Jeff didn’t have to say a lot,” the former three-point champ said via SNY. “He just said, ‘Hey, what’re we going to do? Are we going to figure this out? Are we going to collectively come together? Or are we just going to keep having the same talk over and over again?’ … It was short and sweet, but it was to the point. It resonated with everybody.”
Ray Allen Details the Importance of Role Players
In a recent interview with CBS sports two-time NBA Champion Ray Allen spoke on the importance of role players on championship squads. While Allen played with some heavy hitters during those championship runs, it has always been the ‘glue guys’ that have played the biggest roles. “When I look at the teams I played on, some of the most important players for both championship years were P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, James Posey, Eddie House, Leon Powe. And then James Jones, Mike Miller, Juwan Howard, Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier. Guys that took charges, guys that didn’t care about their stats.” Allen told Macklin Stern of CBS Sports. “That is what will determine the elevation of this Nets team; not the best players they have, but the guys around them — that encourage them to play better, that push them to play harder to do the things that bridge the gap.”
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