The Dallas Mavericks made the NBA world stop just one day into free agency as they completed the biggest free agency move in franchise history.
Dallas completed a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors to ink Klay Thompson to a three-year, $50 million deal while sending Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets. Dallas had signed Green to a three-year extension before last season began, but he regressed from this big third year and fans questioned his potential long-term fit once the offseason hit. He didn't provide much consistency, and his injuries in back-to-back years made him unreliable.
He hadn't fully panned out as much as fans expected, and despite the Mavs refraining from trading him in years past, they finally pulled the trigger in the deal for Thompson.
Mavericks' timing on Green trade validated by his defensive struggles
While Thompson has had a slower start than some may have expected in Dallas, Green's start to this season in one crucial area for Charlotte has gone under the radar. While his 3-point shooting has been stellar, his performance on the other end of the floor has not.
As of November 27, Green has the worst defensive field goal percentage in the NBA (minimum of 60 defensive field goals attempted) with opponents shooting 60.3 percent from the field when he is guarding them. That is a massive drop-off from the 49.6 percent defensive field goal percentage that he posted last year with Dallas.
While the sample size is small, it goes to show that Green still hasn't taken the next step in his development even after being traded to a team in which he has started in 15 of the 16 games he has played in. 6.4 points per game while being a primary starter is not ideal, but once again, the worst part about his season so far has been his defensive performance.
Green's kryptonite of navigating screens still remains, and he has a tendency to over-help at times and struggles when closing out. His poor closeouts could be a big reason for his defensive field goal percentage being so high, and he hasn't fully morphed into the 3-and-D guy that he was expected to be when he was drafted.
He still shows good defense in flashes and his excellent athleticism is a big help for that, but he hasn't been able to be relied upon as a consistent defensive stopper. He has been an excellent catch-and-shoot guy though when it comes to efficiency, as he is shooting 48.9 percent from downtown for Charlotte, and he has given the Hornets consistent shooting when called upon.
Quentin Grimes, who many fans considered to be the direct replacement for Green, has performed well so far in Dallas and is really starting to come into his role. Grimes is a much better screen navigator than Green is, and his energy on both ends of the floor has been huge for Dallas.
Green had plenty of great moments for the Mavs and still has tons of potential, but his defensive shortcomings so far are proving that Dallas may have traded him at the perfect time. The Mavs are currently seventh in the NBA in defensive rating, and they are doing just fine without Green.
Thompson has been a pleasant surprise defensively, and Jason Kidd continues to challenge him on that end with tough assignments. He is motivated to prove people wrong about his defense, and he is off to a great start on that end.
Thompson is averaging 13.2 points per game while shooting 38.3 percent from the field, and his presence on the floor has made things much easier for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He will get more acclimated to Dallas' system as time goes on, and we should see his shooting numbers rise as he gets more comfortable.
