Houston Rockets: Who can fill Gerald Green’s role?

Houston’s own high-flying, trigger-happy swingman will likely be out for the season. Who can the Houston Rockets rely on to match Gerald Green’s production?

Gerald Green was born in Houston, Texas. He spent his high school career at Gulf Shores Academy in Houston, Texas. He was sitting on his couch in Boston when he got a call to play basketball in; you guessed it: Houston, Texas.

The Houston native represents his city to the fullest, so much so that he has the I-45 tattooed across his left shoulder. He loves the city, and the city loves him back, which contributed heavily to Green signing a one-year $2.56 million contract with the Houston Rockets this past summer.

Green’s role on the Rockets is simple; come off the bench and score. Curling around a screen, catch and shoot, you name it. Gerald Green has made himself a legitimate scoring threat as a rotation player, and the Rockets are better because of it.

Throughout his time with Houston, Green has posted averages of 10.6, 2.8, 0.5 on 40/36/84 splits. Though he shoots 52.3 percent on his 2-point attempts as a Rocket, 76 percent of his field-goal attempts come from behind the 3-point line. He is a high volume shooter that has a short-term memory and has no problem with taking another three if he’s missed his last seven (Or 27).

Over the weekend, Green suffered an injury that was initially reported to come with a 2-3 month recovery process. However, as reported by Shams Charania, the Rockets swingman is looking at missing out on the entirety of the 2019-20 season, a devastating blow to the Rockets depth, and morale.

Of course, being able to find free agents in October that can contribute 10 points a night is no simple task. The market has thinned out, and the Houston Rockets are in dire need of a replacement scorer. While contracts can certainly be given out, the Rockets are in no position to spend, as they are $35 million in surplus of the salary cap. If Houston is going to get their scoring from a different player, it will likely be from a player already on the roster.

Gerald Green is, again, a high volume shooter. The Rockets are famous throughout the NBA for their high scoring outputs and to supplement the loss of his services, the first player that presents themselves is Chris Clemons. Clemons’ introduction to the NBA has been fast-paced, as the former Campbell guard is using the minutes he gets to put up shots and prove his place on the shooting-heavy Rockets.

Gerald Green and Clemons, simply put, are willing shooters that can get a bucket at will, and should the Rockets promote Clemons to a more prominent bench role, he will undoubtedly attempt to match or surpass Green’s output.

Another one of the Houston Rockets’ additions this past offseason, Ben McLemore, has shown that he is more than willing to shoot the 3 when given the opportunity so far this preseason. McLemore has both the athleticism and the size to match Green’s physical presence on the court. What stands to be seen is how he contributes during the regular season, when wins matter.

Looking to the Rockets’ minicamp in Vegas earlier this fall, two names jump out, Corey Brewer and Nick Young. Both forwards can shoot the ball at a decent clip, and match Gerald Green’s size. Nick Young initially may seem the obvious choice of the two, as he boasts a career 37.6 percent from deep, but is a negative defender, posting a -3.4 DBPM. Corey Brewer shoots the deep ball at a less appealing 28.4 percent but provides 1.2 steals per game, a career statistic that matches his turnovers per game.

Gerald Green’s presence on and off of the court will be hard to replace, as his love for the city goes deeper than basketball, but the Rockets have only a week before the NBA season tips off, and with opening day rosters needing to be locked in by the October 21, time is running out.

Whether a free agent or current player fills in Gerald Green’s place, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the Houston Rockets face off against the Miami Heat on Friday at American Airlines Arena and begin the NBA season on October 24 against the Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center.