Phoenix Suns’ Gerald Green: Reduced playing time like having a pimple

PHOENIX — There is no questioning Gerald Green’s ability to score the basketball.

He can, more often than not, get on one of those rolls where anything he throws up goes in, whether it’s showing his range from three-point territory, falling back on a 15-foot jump shot or twisting and spinning his way through the lane, all with a defender’s hand in his face.

In those moments, Green is simply unguardable, and why he’s become a major piece to the Phoenix Suns’ puzzle since he was acquired in 2013.

It’s defending the basketball that tends to get the eight-year veteran in trouble. And because of that, he’s earned a seat on the bench — a place he’s spent much of his time the past four games.

“We need to focus on the defensive end the whole game,” head coach Jeff Hornacek told Doug & Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Tuesday. “When he’s scoring it’s great because he scores 15 but a lot of times we feel he’s giving up 15. We need the balance where he’s scoring his 10 or 15 for us and then he’s only giving up seven or eight. Especially recently his shooting percentage hasn’t been great so we got to try to find the balance where he can be out on the court and help us because he’s a big part of our team.”

While acknowledging the need to improve his defense, Green pointed to other areas of his game — fewer turnovers, more rebounds, better shot selection — for how he can stay on the floor.

“Just try to be more efficient, just make more winning basketball plays than more Gerald Green plays,” he said, before adding about his defense, “I feel like everybody makes mistakes defensively. I am one of the guys that make mistakes, but I don’t feel like I’m the worst defender on the team. I just feel like Coach sees different matchups that he wants to go with.”

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