The Cleveland Cavaliers added Jeff Green last summer for his length, athletic ability, timely offense, and defensive potential in hopes of having him guard the Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant should the two teams meet again in the NBA Finals. It's happening now. The Cavs and Warriors are battling in their fourth-straight June dance while Green is primarily tasked to cover Durant.
In Game 1, Green only scored seven points but he was on the floor for 35 minutes. His coverage on Durant contributed to a subpar game from the 2014 MVP who had 26 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three blocks but shot 8-of-22 from the field and 1-of-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
On Friday, Durant spoke to reporters and talked about why his matchup with Green is extra special.
“It's deeper than basketball; enjoying this time we get to play on the court together and really appreciate the moments we had together as teammates.”
Durant and Green entered the NBA in the same year. Durant was the second overall pick of the 2007 draft by the now-defunct Seattle SupeSonics while Green was the Boston Celtics' fifth overall selection. The latter was packaged by the Celtics for Seattle's star in Ray Allen.
Allen won a title with the Celtics and Green formed a young and athletic tandem with Durant to begin their careers. Green played three and a half seasons for Seattle and the Oklahoma City Thunder until he was traded back to Boston in the 2010-11 season.
The current Cavs forward missed the entire 2011-12 season after he underwent an open-heart surgery. His comeback to basketball is as dramatic as it gets. Now, he's playing at the biggest stage, four wins away from an NBA title — something he probably never envisioned moments before going under the knife in 2012.
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