Greene Uprising
Last year, Donté Greene established himself as a rising young star and one of Sacramento’s most promising players. The versatile forward thrived with increased playing time, exhibiting extraordinary offensive improvement en route to more than doubling his scoring average and finishing with the biggest Player Efficiency Rating increase (+6.4) in the NBA.
But according to Coach Paul Westphal, Greene has only begun to tap into his limitless potential on both ends of the court. Westphal has been pleased with the third-year forward’s defensive discipline and improved shot selection, explaining Greene has evolved into a more complete player by making a remarkable transformation in his playing style.
“Donté has really worked hard to change his approach. A year ago, he pretty much couldn’t wait to get the ball so he could shoot it, no matter what the situation was,” Westphal said. “He’s really changed into being a more selective offensive player.”
“As his skills improve, both his post-up and his outside shooting and his ball handling, he’ll be a real complementary piece to pretty much every situation,” he continued.
The multitalented forward creates mismatches for opposing teams by using his size and quickness to get to the basket or shoot from long range. This season, Greene has focused on consistently attacking the paint and finishing strong, and according to HoopData.com, he is converting 68 percent of his shots at the rim (up from 59 percent last year) and shooting 46 percent from within 10 feet (up from 36 percent).
“(I’m) using my athletic abilities, going in there with my 6-foot-10 frame and just trying to do damage on the inside,” Greene says. “I should be averaging double figures in rebounds, but (I’m) trying to work hard in that department.”
After averaging 2.5 points in the team’s first nine games, Greene has played his way into the starting lineup by scoring 8.5 points per contest and knocking down 19 three-pointers over the last 17 games. Displaying a higher comfort level and increased confidence, he poured in a season-high 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting against the Dallas Mavericks on December 4, and recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against the New Orleans Hornets on November 21.
“(Donté) is just a player that respects the game – he works hard and he has a lot of upside,” said Houston Rockets guard Kevin Martin, who played alongside Greene for one-and-a-half seasons in Sacramento. “He’s got to guard the best player every night on the (opposing) team and he takes that challenge.”
Rockets forward Shane Battier, a perennial member of the NBA All-Defensive Team, has similarly taken notice of Greene’s rapid progression and ability to impact the game with his size and athleticism.
“I think Donté has a good attitude – he wants to play and he wants to win,” Battier said. “He’s got length, he’s got quickness and now he has to understand how to be an NBA-level defender.
Greene’s dedication to the defensive end, where he has continuously forced the League’s top players into taking tough shots and shooting a lower field goal percentage, has drawn raves from the coaching staff. According to 82games.com, the Kings defense has been 4.8 points per 48 minutes better with Greene on the floor this year, and the team’s top five-player lineup (+30 plus/minus) has featured him at small forward.
Against the Miami Heat on December 11, Greene held LeBron James to five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first quarter and blocked the defending MVP’s left baseline field goal attempt.
“A guy like LeBron, (you) try to force him going left (because) he’s not as aggressive going left as he is (going) right,” Greene says. “You try to keep him in front of you, take away his right and make him shoot jump shots.”
While Greene looked up to All-Stars Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis while growing up, he now admires the tenacity of some of the League’s best defenders after recognizing the strengths of his game.
“I like Gerald Wallace – he plays extremely hard, gives it (his) all when he steps on the floor,” Greene says. “And (I admire) Trevor Ariza for his defense – he’s been known to go out there and help win a championship (by) locking guys up. “
Greene’s teammates and coaches alike have been impressed with the 22-year-old’s maturity and relentless desire to become a better all-around player, and have been unable to put a cap on the breakout forward’s future development.
“I think that his scoring will pick up as his career grows, he’s somebody that can guard a lot of positions and he’s a smart offensive player,” Westphal says. “If he can improve as much next year as he has over this last year, his ceiling is pretty high.”
“I love Donté Greene – he’s always there, always got a smile on his face, (goes) out there with a lot of energy and loves the game,” teammate Carl Landry says. “He’s a phenomenal talent, and I definitely think the sky is the limit for him.”
