Utah Jazz: When motivated, Jeff Green is a tremendous asset to winning

When Jeff Green is on really good teams, like the Utah Jazz, his production typically rises. With that being said, expect a really good version of Jeff Green next season.

The Utah Jazz have found their starting power forward in Jeff Green, who agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Utah Jazz worth $2.5 million, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Green has had a roller-coaster NBA career. He started off with the Seattle SuperSonics, and went on to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards.

In the midst of his long career, Green had to overcome an incredibly difficult hurdle in 2012: open-heart surgery. Green had an aortic aneurysm and missed the entire 2011-2012 season.

It’s been a heck of a story for Green, who is still playing at a high level at the age of 32. I noticed that he’s typically a much better version of himself when he’s on a contending team. For instance, when Green played for the Magic during the 2016-2017 season, he honestly looked pretty bored most of the time. I have proof to back up that claim.

“You know what the worst part about all of this is, though? Worse than even the sums of money spent and what the team got in return? The attitude shown by Green throughout the whole season. He rarely smiled and spent most of his time on the court looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.”

These are words by Luke Duffy of Hoops Habit, describing Green’s 2016-17 campaign with Orlando.

Thankfully, the 2019-20 Utah Jazz won’t be anything like that Orlando Magic team that won just 29 games. The Jazz are legitimate contenders in the Western Conference, which bodes as good news for the team regarding Green.

Green was good last year for the Wizards, despite the team not making the playoffs. He was playing back where he played his college ball, so that was a better environment for him.

Green was at his best in a Celtics uniform, where he was a part of multiple playoff runs. In Cleveland, Green played an important role off the bench during the Cavs’ run to the Finals. He averaged 15 points per game for the Thunder when he went to the playoffs with them. He also played big minutes for the Grizzlies and Clippers when they made the playoffs.

Do you see what I’m getting at? I hope so. Anyway, Jeff Green was an excellent addition to the team. I’m expecting him to do what he did in Cleveland – chip in 10-12 points per game. Hopefully he can connect on more shots from downtown as well.