Philadelphia 76ers: Could Jeff Green be 2020’s Corey Brewer?
After finding midseason success with Corey Brewer in 2019, could the Philadelphia 76ers find similar value with the addition of Jeff Green?
Last season, between the trade for Jimmy Butler and the trade for Tobias Harris there was Corey Brewer.
A 6-foot-9 combo wing who played college ball at Florida a decade ago, Brewer came to the Philadelphia 76ers on a 10-day contract and played like a man on fire.
Over the course of said contract – and another 10-day for good measure – Brewer scored 53 points and stole 14(!) in 140 minutes of action. Brewer played so well that some assumed his return on a full-on contract was a slam dunk, only to have his impressive winter play overshadowed by the eventual additions of Harris, Mike Scott, and James Ennis.
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Now one could argue for hours if letting Brewer walk only to eventually sign Greg Monroe down the stretch was the right call, but that’s another conversation for another day. No, what I want to discuss is whether the 76ers should go free agent shopping for another 6-foot-9 veteran wing to fortify their rotation, because an intriguing option just became available.
You see, after signing a one-year deal to join up with the Utah Jazz over the summer, Jeff Green was unceremoniously released to make way for the addition of G-League standout Rayjon Tucker. Granted, that move had more to do with a subsequent trade to acquire Jordan Clarkson, as the team gave up backup PG Dante Exum to pull off the deal, but whatever the reason, Green has officially passed waivers and can sign anywhere he’d like going into the new year.
Could that be Philly?
On one hand, a potential pairing makes sense. One of the two remaining players in the NBA that played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Green has played in 950 games over his 13-year professional basketball career – more than every player on the Sixers, even old man Al Horford.
That experience could be invaluable for a team that has struggled at times with ineffective play and could afford Brett Brown with more flexibility to optimize his rotation with yet another 3-and-D wing.
But there’s a catch, Green isn’t all that good at shooting 3s or playing D anymore.
Once upon a time, Green was a valuable piece that any good team would have loved to employ, but since leaving the Boston Celtics back in 2014(-15), that has become less and less so. You see, Green has hit 100 3 pointers only once since the 2013-14 season, and has hit shots beyond the arc at the league average (35ish) exactly zero times over that tenure.
While Green’s defense has been more or less competent over this five-year stretch, he’s not exactly at the level of the elite defensive wingers like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, or Robert Covington, let alone players like Thabo Sefolosha, Mo Harkless, or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
No, for the 76ers, Green would effectively slot in as James Ennis 2.0 – for better or worse.
3 point shooting can take Philly far this season. dark. Next
Now if the Philadelphia 76ers were to trade a player like Mike Scott to acquire a legitimate guard/forward with an elite outside shot, or a 6-foot-5 combo guard who can create his own shot then yeah, signing Jeff Green as a small-ball four makes a ton of sense, but until that day happens – if it happens at all – it may make more sense to use an eventually vacant roster spot to sign Norvel Pelle over adding another supersized small forward with an inconsistent outside shot.