Green articles: Wa Post & Boston Herald 6/28

[DanMcQ]

Be sure to check the front page for a complete list of draft day articles on Green.



Green may go Green: Ex-Hoya versatile

In one corner of a hotel ballroom, Joakim Noah, son of Yannick, the French tennis legend, spent as much time sparring with the French media in their native tongue as with American reporters in English.

In another, surrounded by an equally suffocating semicircle of reporters and cameras, Chinese star Yi Jianlian entertained the media from his homeland.

One table over, surrounded by roughly 10 reporters, Georgetown’s Jeff Green shrugged. His day will come soon enough.

“I’ve never seen him on TV,” the forward said of Yi. “Maybe I’ll send him a letter, but it’s cool if he gets all the attention. I’m not into being in the spotlight. I’ve never liked talking about myself, but now I have to do it.”

Green wasn’t entirely correct. The spotlight was particularly bright on Tuesday in Phoenix. The Suns, believing they have secured a lottery pick via trade, worked out Green, as well as Noah and his Florida teammate Corey Brewer.

Green, who had spent the last month working out in Washington, D.C., before finally deciding to stay in the draft, took part in his only head-to-head workout against the Florida duo.

The Celtics thus got to match Green, projected as a swing forward, against power forward Noah and Brewer, a perimeter player who can defend at least three positions.

It may have been the most revealing workout that Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers have seen since the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando three weeks ago. They were also careful not to share their thoughts with the young men on the floor. “They haven’t told me anything at all about their plans,” Green said of the Celtics.

For Green, there is an odd aspect to his two Celtics auditions. He first got to know Rivers through his freshman teammate, Rivers’ son Jeremiah. “Yeah, it’s kind of weird that he’s working me out,” said Green. “I knew him because I know his son, and now here he is running me through workouts.”

It could soon be much more than that.

[DanMcQ]

Camille Powell: Green, Under the Radar, Is Flying High

A half-dozen top NBA prospects paused inside the lobby of a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday afternoon. They needed to cross West 43rd Street to board a bus that would take them to John Jay College for an "NBA Cares" basketball clinic, but standing in their way -- just outside the glass doors -- was a small crowd of fans clutching photos and basketballs and pens. None of the players wanted to be first.

Jeff Green soon took charge. The Georgetown star marched out of the hotel, with the rest of the players trailing behind and fans swarming around them.

"They were scared to come out first, but I knew I wasn't going to get bum-rushed," Green said. "With Corey [Brewer], Al [Horford], Rock Star Joakim [Noah] and Kevin [Durant] around you? I just walk through and all the fans go to them. They just think I'm some other fan or their bodyguard."

Green is surrounded by family and friends: His mother, father, stepfather, sister, brother-in-law, aunt, uncle and best friend from home are all here. He also wanted to bring along Jonathan Wallace and Tyler Crawford -- two of his former Georgetown teammates and closest friends -- but the rising Hoya seniors had to remain on campus for summer school. On Thursday night, John Thompson III and agent David Falk will join Green in the green room, along with Green's parents and sister.

He has his wardrobe all planned out; he has promised something simple, but nice. Green, who was one of only three players on Wednesday to wear a tie during the media session, is accustomed to dressing up after spending three years at Georgetown, where the Hoyas are required to be in suits whenever they are traveling in public as a group. Green says that he was the best-dressed Hoya "hands down," and Brewer proclaimed him to be "the smoothest dresser in the draft."

Green owns three suits, but has approximately 75 ties. He bought a new one to wear Thursday night.

Said Green, "It's a new beginning."

Best-Dressed?

[DanMcQ]

Another:

msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6968854

Here's 10 notes worth taking away from Wednesday's meet-and-greet session:

1. Forget Madison Square Garden on Thursday night — the real place to be this week was in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon. It was there that on a moment's notice, NBA hopefuls Jeff Green, Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah packed overnight bags and flew to the desert for what was described by all three players as a legendary workout session. Like a final audition for a Broadway show, scouts from Boston, Phoenix and a few other squads watched the three players go at it for an intense, no-holds barred last workout. Essentially, millions of dollars were on the line. The difference between being the 5th and 10th pick in the draft is a nice chunk of change.

Green thought his workouts were done, and flew straight from Milwaukee, while Brewer cut short a brief stop at home in Memphis to get on the next flight out to Phoenix. Noah described the workout as "intense", explaining, "It's weird for me to go against Corey like that, but we went at it. Head to head — very hard." Both Green and Brewer concurred with Noah, saying it was as competitive a session as any other in the past month.

9. Jeff Green loves watching the tape of Georgetown's remarkable Elite 8 comeback win over North Carolina. "I've watched it over and over again, and I'll probably watch it 8 million more times." Had he spoken about the game with fellow NBA Draft hopeful Brandan Wright? "Nah, I haven't gone there. No need to cause any bad blood."

[MCIGuy]

The WPost, in three and a half years, have never done a really lengthy front page (sports section) story on Jeff. And with a last chance to do so before the draft with all these articles leading up to today they still declined to give Jeff his due as a local product (high school and college) done good. Some things never change. And, no, I'm not blaming Camille. She doesn't make these decisions.

[hoyaLS05]

Washington Times - Harlan Goode: Call for traveling is coming today

Memphis did not work out Green. If Memphis doesn't trade away its pick, reports have the Grizzlies choosing Conley at No. 4.

Boston coach Doc Rivers, whose son Jeremiah played at Georgetown, was courtside for many Hoyas games this year, and the Celtics reportedly love the idea of Green in green.

"Jeff is a very versatile and complete player, and his workout went very well," Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said outside McDonough Gymnasium this month. "I like him a lot."

Reports have Boston potentially swapping the fifth pick with Phoenix for Shawn Marion, and Green canceled his workout with Charlotte at the last second Monday to attend a workout in Phoenix on Tuesday with Brewer, Noah and Wright.

Milwaukee might take Green if he is still available at No. 6, but Babcock says the team also needs to address its depth at guard with starter Mo Williams a free agent.

Minnesota at No. 7 is likely looking for frontcourt help even after trading for Juwan Howard, and Green was spotted recently at Georgetown wearing Timberwolves gear. After Green's no-show in Charlotte, there are rumors Boston, Milwaukee or Minnesota made a promise to Green.

[dajuan]

hoyals05 said:

Washington Times - Harlan Goode: Call for traveling is coming today

Minnesota at No. 7 is likely looking for frontcourt help even after trading for Juwan Howard, and Green was spotted recently at Georgetown wearing Timberwolves gear.

Can anyone confirm this? Jeff wearing Timberwolves gear on campus? Granted, I don't read ANYTHING into it, but that seems like something that would have whipped this board into a rumor frenzy.

[hoyaLS05]

dajuan said:

hoyals05 said:

Washington Times - Harlan Goode: Call for traveling is coming today

Minnesota at No. 7 is likely looking for frontcourt help even after trading for Juwan Howard, and Green was spotted recently at Georgetown wearing Timberwolves gear.

Can anyone confirm this? Jeff wearing Timberwolves gear on campus? Granted, I don't read ANYTHING into it, but that seems like something that would have whipped this board into a rumor frenzy.

I saw him in the T-Wolves gear too.

[hoyaboy1]

Ugh. I really hope he doesn't end up in a KG-less Minnesota.

[hoyaLS05]

New York Times, leading with Green: www.nytimes.com/2007/06/28/sports/basketball/28nba.html

[Cambridge]

The more I think about it, the more certain I am that Rivers had a lot to do with Green staying in the draft. You have to think that he gave Green casual advice throughout the season and would love to have a known commodity like Green over the more prospective talents Ainge seems to be intrigued by. I think Doc will win and Green will be wearing green.

[Jack]

If it comes down to Doc's choice vs. Danny's choice, and Jeff is Doc's and Yi or Brewer or someone else is Danny's, how is it possible that Doc wins the argument? Doc by all rights should have been canned after this past season, instead he was extended, and he owes that to Ainge. Ainge runs the show, he clearly persuaded Doc to tank for the extra ping pong balls and extended him for his loyalty. There is no one for Doc to appeal to if Ainge is set on taking someone else. I think the chances of Green in Green are very slim, coming in behind Yi, Brewer, and trading the pick.

[SFHoya99]

Most decisions of this caliber take place with the owner. Doc could present a more compelling argument to him. Or, Doc could simply present a more compelling argument to Danny. Yes, Ainge will most likely win, but in decisions like these, the chain of command isn't always preserved.

[TahoeSkin]

From the county to 'The League:

gazette.net/stories/062807/uppespo164745_32355.shtml

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

I have said Jeff is going at #7 for the last two weeks. Nothing I have heard disuades me that he is going to the owner of that pick whether it is Min. or Phoenix.