My first impression of Orien Greene

[DERRENMATTS]

Finally, I was able to see the man called OG. I liked what I saw, and here's my impression of him:

He's not going to be a great PG, and I'd probably still take Kirk Hinrich over him if given the choice. In a perfect world (where we'd be winning championships every year), he'd be our backup PG. But he's the best PG we have right now and I think he has room to grow into a starter for us one day (maybe sooner than later).

He's definitely a pass first PG who sees the floor well and has the creativity and the ability to make difficult passes seem routine. He seems to have the moxie to lead a team. He wants the ball in his hands and he likes to direct the traffic. Regularly drives into the lane and is just as able to dish the ball off or take it himself. He takes what the defense gives him and he doesn't seem to force things.

From what I see, he'll do really well with players who move well without the ball. For example, in tonight's game vs. the Cavs, Orien was dribbling near the free throw line, waiting for a play to develop. As he made a jab step toward the basket, Blount got inside his defender and started toward the hoop. Orien instantly saw the opening and lobbed a nice touch pass over the head of Blount's defender for an easy basket. Orien seems to have instant recognition and quick reaction to make passes as soon as they develop. That's why I think he'll really make a good pair with Tony Allen. TA is always moving without the ball and I imagine he and OG will hook up on a lot of plays. On the breaks, TA and Ricky will have fun running with OG.

He's good at feeding the post. Delivers quick, but catchable passes and he doesn't make you wait long before getting you the ball. And more importantly, he doesn't make you strain your back trying to reach his passes.

Really solid defensive player who is able to stay in front of his man. He's the type of defender who anticipates where his man is trying to get to and tries to beat him to the spot. And he's got long arms that disrupt plays.

Nice hustle player who'll take the charge, dive head first into the crowd, and get court burns on his elbows and knees.

There's still a lot more I have to see of Orien Greene before I can get an accurate read of him. But the first impression I've got of him was encouraging. With more playmaking ability and a polished jumper, I think he could be good enough to be our starting PG when we contend for the title.

[Celtic17]

derrenmatts said:

Finally, I was able to see the man called OG. I liked what I saw, and here's my impression of him:

He's not going to be a great PG

This is were I stopped reading, because nobody know the limits of any of our young guys yet.

[eddietours]

as for now kirk is a better offence player but i think ogreen is way better at the defense end.

[Deleted]

Hinrich and Greene are two completely different players as one is more of a shooter while the other is a defensive player. Isn't Hinrich more of SG than he is a PG? It's usually Chris Duhon who controls th offense in Chicago.

OG is going to be a NBA pg in this league the question will he be a starter or not hasn't been answered yet.

[DERRENMATTS]

celtic17 said:

derrenmatts said:

Finally, I was able to see the man called OG. I liked what I saw, and here's my impression of him:

He's not going to be a great PG

This is were I stopped reading, because nobody know the limits of any of our young guys yet.

C17, let me explain, as my phrase may not have been accepted how it was intended. I think spotting greatness is pretty simple. You either have it or don't. By great, I mean Michael Jordan great, or Wilt Chamberlain great. Lebron has the makings of being a great player when it is all said and done, and its quite visible. But from watching Orien, I don't get the sense that he'll be a great PG. That's what I meant by him not being a great player. This is not a knock against him at all. Great players are hard to come by.

Maybe its possible that Orien could turn out to be better than a guy like Gilbert Arenas. But I think that's a stretch. But I guess it could happen. No one really expected Arenas to be this good (and he too, was also a second round pick).

As for the Hinrich comment, whether he's more of a SG than a PG, he's a very good passing guard and he's got leadership abilities and excellent ball handling ability. And of course, he can hit outside shots. I liked him from his Kansas days so there may be some bias-ness in there.

[Celtic17]

Thanks for making that more clear DM.

[freshnthehouse]

THe first time i saw OG was at a Shoney's in Jacksonville, FA. He was eating spaghetti with a spoon. I had him kicked out of the resteraunt. Thats my first impression of him.

[Celtic17]

I heard it was peas using a butter-knife.

You know how stories change with time...

[BCHISTORIAN]

personally i think orien has the most upside of our pg's. the others are converts not pgs .

and i tend to beleiev that orien's upside is pretty good. bear in mind that he had surgery in the summer and was cleared to train (not play) less than a month ago. the guy seems to have a hell of a adaptation powers.

kirk has been in the limelight much longer and he's a centerpiece of a team. orien's role could be setting up others and being invisible but vital part of the team

[mev17]

Here is a link to a draft-camp report on Orien Greene that breaks down his game really well. Scroll down a little because Orien is the second player that is analyzed. draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1010

What really caught my eye regarding this subject was the following quote:

Greene seems to have adopted the new shooting mechanics Coach Thorpe instilled in him when he got here and now looks very good shooting the ball in rhythm out to the college three. He was outstanding from mid-range and even did a decent job from the NBA three point line, although this is clearly the thing he needs to work on most to make it and stick in the NBA. Still, it’s hard not to notice how much progress he’s made in such a short time, going from a brick layer in college with horrendous shooting form to a guy that clearly can not be left open on the perimeter unless you want to pay for it, at least from what I saw here in their drills.

What I love about this observation is not only the improved shooting but the obvious "coachability" displayed by Orien. Add that to the athleticism and passing skills/mentality that the report raves about, and we certainly have a winner here.

I also found this quote interesting:

The only NBA executive I talked to in Chicago regarding Greene’s chances in the NBA said he agreed with me 100% that he will surely be in the NBA next year and has a great chance of being drafted even, maybe by his team in the late 2nd round, depending on who they take in the 1st round. He knows his game pretty well because his team got a look at him in a private workout just a few days after I did.

Any guesses as to who the NBA exec was??

[DERRENMATTS]

Yeah, that was the article that really made me smile. Ainge hit money with this draft, getting Gerald, Ryan, and Orien. All 3 could turn out to be starters one day (and interstingly, it could be in reverse order of how they were drafted).

Yes, Orien has the most upside among our PG's and his ceiling is pretty nice. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited about this kid and I'm glad that we have him on our team. I just don't feel like he's going to be a great PG.

What can we look forward to from Orien as the season wears on? We can probably expect a lot more assists. Once he starts getting a feel for his teammates and once he recognizes their tendencies and where they like to receive passes, he'll rack up more assists. Right now, seems like he is getting his feel for the overall chemistry of the team and not trying to do too much.

We can also expect him to create more shots for his teammates. Of the PG's, he's the only who actually holds onto the ball and dribbles around the court looking for a play to open up. Delonte and Dickau constantly (almost to a fault) pass the ball into the high post and let the big men do the entry passes. Funny watching Orien because he'll waive off the big man at the high post who's waiting for the pass, and instead he'll survey the court himself and look for the best player to pass to. That's what I want our PG to do. But it is nice to see Raef and Blount making the pass to the cutter inside the lane.

[BCHISTORIAN]

seeing how fast the kid learns i expect him to be starter by year's end

[eddietours]

believe me this kid will dominant the tempo of the game this is what most gm look in a pg if you want to push the speed of the game he can do if you want to slow down that too what i would like to see from is trying to post the smaller pg.red told Bill Russell people say you cant score,but you can change the outcome of the game ;D

[DERRENMATTS]

I agree with both of you. Lot of his teammates are saying that Greene can be the starter and even Doc mentions that he is the best open court player. And a PG doesn't need to score to change the outcome of the game. He changes it with his passing and his leadership on the court.

Delonte is probably the starter for now, and he would look better if he looked to score more often. But if he stays where he's at, Orien will pass him shortly.