Play of the game: Josh Green makes magic

Josh Green has been the subject of a ton of discourse throughout Dallas Mavericks fandom. He is the Mavericks most recent first round pick, having been selected 18th overall in the 2020 draft. Many fans wanted the Mavericks to select local product Desmond Bane who has gone on to become a borderline All-NBA level player (No one knew Bane would be this good, even his most ardent champions).

Green is not Bane, but he is becoming a truly useful NBA player. He is an extremely energetic basketball player which led our own Josh Bowe to compare him to a cocaine fueled bear. He has channeled his manic energy into good basketball. He is a good defender, and he has hit his shots in addition to providing some secondary playmaking.

This play sums up everything good about Green offensively. He receives a pass in the corner where he draws a closeout. The closeout comes because Green has made threes and teams can no longer simply ignore him. He then attacks the closeout drawing help. Finally, he jumps and does something that no coach would ever team their player to do. He does a full 360 degree turn. During the turn, he faces away from the basket while in the air.

That is madness for a player with no desire to shoot from there. However, as with most things Green related, there is a method to the madness. The spin actually freezes Donte Divencenzo who is prepared to help to the corner. He stutter steps toward the corner when Green penetrates but freezes in his tracks as Green spins. This little wrinkle means that the 360 was not only incredibly cool, but an important part of the play.

Basketball is watched to bring enjoyment to the fans. The Mavericks have not been a ton of fun this season, but they were last night. This play was the most fun play of the game and it should be enjoyed for the magic that it was.