Celtics Recall Green From Fayetteville Patriots
Published on February 3, 2006 under NBA G League (G League)
Fayetteville Patriots News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. February 3 - Gerald Green, the Boston Celtics' young phenom assigned to the NBA Development League's Fayetteville Patriots for the past three weeks, was recalled by the NBA team on Friday. Green was to fly directly to Boston from Fort Myers, FL where the Patriots fell to the Florida Flame Thursday night. Fayetteville doesn't play again until Friday, Feb. 10, at Roanoke, giving the Celtics an opportunity to try working Green into their scheme.
Green is expected back in the Patriots' lineup for their next game. According to the Celtics' Web site, he is joining the team for at least three games. They host the Clippers Friday, and then play a two-game trip in Florida against Orlando and Miami. While Green is expected to be active and available for duty, he's unlikely to play. Part of the reason for the call-up is the open space in Fayetteville's schedule. Green will stay with the Celtics though their Florida swing, and return to Boston with the Celtics to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday next week before returning to Fayetteville.
According to the guidelines spelled out in the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, an NBA team can send a player to the D-League and recall him a maximum of three times.
"Gerald has exhibited improvements on and off the court since his first game here," said Patriots president Todd DeMoss. "We're excited as a franchise to play a part in his development."
Green, a 6-8, 200-pound forward, was selected by the Celtics 18th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft coming out of Gulf Shores Academy in Houston, TX. As a senior, he averaged 33.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game on his way to his second All-State selection, and was a 2005 McDonald's All-American. At the McDonald's game, he won the Slam Dunk Contest and scored 24 points. However, he had trouble breaking into the playing rotation in Boston. He had dressed just once, and didn't play in that game, when Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge, made the decision to send him to the D-League on Jan. 6.
"Gerald is going down there with the right attitude," Ainge told the Boston Globe at the time. "It's not a demotion. You go down there, earn your minutes, and prove you belong. Gerald's development remains one of our top priorities. He's progressing just as we expected, and we think this is a step in the right direction."
In his eight games as a Patriot, Green has averaged 12.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. He has started five games and averaged just over 26 minutes played.
Although the Celtics are affiliated with the D-League's Florida Flame, the Flame had already been assigned four NBA players, all of whom were still on the roster. Fayetteville's affiliated teams are the Charlotte Bobcats, the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons, but none have assigned a player to the Patriots this season. The NBA's assignment rules allow the league to adjust assignments for development situations like this one.
The NBA Development League includes the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft. Myers), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).
The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella. Thirty-eight (38) players have been called up to the NBA on 56 separate occasions. Eleven (11) former D-League coaches, six athletic trainers, 14 referees and 30 front office executives have also been called up since the start of the league's inaugural season in November 2001.
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. The D-League is a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions. For more information on the Patriots or the NBA D-League, visit fayettevillepatriots.com or call (910) 213-1000.
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