The Cleveland Cavaliers have one more regular season game to play before they take on the New York Knicks in the first round do f the 2023 NBA Playoffs. With the postseason starting so soon, J.B. Bickrestaff has definitely started thinking about rotations he wants to use in the opening series.
That leaves a big question mark around the team's late-season addition, Danny Green.
Green played his first season in Cleveland in 2009-10 and then went on to win three NBA Championships with three different teams. He has the most playoff experience of anyone on the Cavs which is crucial in the postseason.
However, Green is now 35 years old and is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in the playoffs last season with the Philadelphia 76ers. This caused him to miss the majority of this season before receiving a buyout from the Houston Rockets. (He was traded there from Memphis Grizzles.)
After signing with the Cavs in free agency he appeared in just six games before being placed in Health and Safety Protocols causing him to miss a few weeks.
This absence has definitely put a pause on the team's plans for Green. J.B. Bickerstaff admitted this, per Cleveland Dot Com, saying, “Being out last week was a little bit of a bump in the road. That was kind of a monkey wrench in what we were doing.”
With Green playing just a handful of games with the Cavs, it's hard to see him in the full rotation with a set amount of minutes at the start of the playoffs. There hasn't been enough time for him and the rest of the regular rotation to get acclimated with him on the floor.
That's not to say Green won't get any playing time in the first round against the Knicks and won't have a big contribution. Bickerstaff said the Green is at the point of his career where, “you’ve done the things that he’s done and played at the level that he’s played at, it’s like riding a bike. There is no moment that’s too big."
Green demonstrated this experience on Thursday night's victory over the Orlando Magic.
With the entire normal starting five out, Green played 26 big minutes for the Cavs. In the most playing time he's received this season, Green went out and led the team in scoring with 21 points while shooting 5/9 from behind the arc.
That's what he can bring to this Cavs team. Coming off the bench when he's called upon and making his presence felt on the floor.
So, while Green may not have a set spot in the rotation, there's a good chance fans still see him get some minutes in the playoffs.
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