Happy Thanksgiving: Five Things for Nuggets Fans to Cheer
By Geoff Graser
Denver Nuggets: Jeff Green is a bargain bin find
The 35-year-old Jeff Green has been in the starting lineup since MPJ went down. With Jokic out as well, the veteran forward upped his season-high the last two games, dropping 25 points against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. He’s emerged as an on-court leader in his first season with the Nuggets.
You might be prone to question how long an elder statesman can perform at this level, but keep in mind he’s two years younger than Melo.
So far, Green is averaging just less than 10 points per game. Yet he has a career average of 12.8 points per game and averaged 11 last season with a quality Brooklyn Nets team. Green is third on the team in scoring efficiency at 1.310, behind only Jokic and Zeke Nnaji.
Perhaps the brightest part of Green’s contribution is that he’s affordable at $4.5 million per year. For perspective, he comes in at almost half the price of JaMychal Green, who earns $8.2 million per year, and just a little above Facundo Campazzo who makes $3.2 million.