Erick Green Lit it Up in the D-League (VIDEO)
Dec 10, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Erick Green (11) during the game against the Miami Heat at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier this month, the Denver Nuggets sent young guard Erick Green to the NBA D-League. At the time, it wasn’t clear how long Green’s assignment would last, but it seemed like a good move to give Green some live game action, since he wasn’t getting many minutes behind Ty Lawson and the newly acquired Jameer Nelson.
Green was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and ended up playing in two games for the team. His first game was against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on January 23. Green showed the scoring mentality that helped him lead the NCAA in scoring during his senior year at Virginia Tech, scoring 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting in 37 minutes of action. He also posted 4 assists and 2 steals in the 118-112 loss. Here are highlights of Green in action:
The teams met again the following night and Green once again made his presence known. In the rematch, he scored 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting (he also shot 7-of-8 from the free throw line), and added 2 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. The Mad Ants pulled out the 128-123 victory, making Green 1 and 1 in his first foray into the NBA’s D-League. Let’s take a look at highlights from Green’s second outing for the Mad Ants:
All told, Green averaged 21 points, 3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2 steals with Fort Wayne. He logged 71 minutes of live action in two games.
The Nuggets recalled Green to join the team on January 25, and he was on the bench during last night’s loss to the Washington Wizards. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Green spend additional time in the D-League later this season, but hopefully his time in Fort Wayne helped him stay sharp in case he’s called upon to contribute for the Nuggets in the weeks ahead.