NBA legend and current Dallas coach Jason Kidd has heaped praise on young Australian Josh Green as he continues to shine for the Mavericks in 2022.
Green had struggled to find his place in the rotation throughout the first two seasons in Dallas but has seen himself placed in a crucial role with the departure of Jalen Brunson in the off-season.
The 22-year-old has improved his overall game but has significantly increased his shooting efficiency, making 57% of his shots from the field and 45% from three.
Kidd noted in a post-game press conference that Green’s improvement came last season after he didn’t see much of the court in his rookie season.
“He didn’t play the year before (2020-21), so it’s a lot when you can play those type of minutes and the way he played last year,” Kidd said.
“Everyone’s going to talk about, or the last thing they remember is he was guarded by the fives, well that’s so far from the truth, the truth is the kid is really good.”
Green has put himself in a prime position to secure a multi-year, million-dollar contract at the conclusion of this season and has Kidd urging the Mavericks’ front office to lock him down or risk losing him as they did with Jalen Brunson.
“(If) he continues to keep working he is going to make a lot of money… he (Jalen Brunson) got paid and Josh is going to get paid a lot of money I’m telling you here today,” Kidd said.
“If he continues to work and help what the team (is doing), the kid has all the talents to be a superstar, he just has to play.
“Hopefully he doesn’t leave… he is playing great just the hard work, the things we are feeding him and he’s digesting and taking it to the floor.
“We’ll see how good he can be, the more minutes he’s got the better he’s gotten, I know everyone is into starting but you can only start five, in this game you get paid by playing at the end (of the game) .”
Green is eligible for a rookie-scale extension at the end of this NBA season which is likely to pay around a minimum of ten million US dollars per year.
.