The purpose of Willie Green
The Orlando Magic’s use of Willie Green has raised eyebrows throughout the season. He has fulfilled his purpose as a solid example for the team’s future.
Willie Green is one of the bigger mysteries for the Magic all season.
OK, Willie Green is pretty simple. He has scratched out a solid NBA career by limiting his mistakes and taking advantage of opportunities when they came. It was simple and made him good but not great. He was never an impact guy on the floor, but just a solid player who worked hard and did his job, no matter what it was.
When the Magic picked him up off waivers on a one-year deal at essentially the veteran’s minimum for someone of his years of service, the Magic were not expecting a ton on the floor. It was more for his role in the locker room that he was claimed off waivers.
That is what Green has provided for much of his 11 years in the league. That is what the Magic intended.
To see him play as much as he has was probably a bit of a surprise.
Fans certainly were frustrated to see Green playing over the likes of Aaron Gordon (before his initial injury), Maurice Harkless and, at times, Elfrid Payton. Who could blame them? Green is solid and consistent, but not spectacular. He was never meant to be.
But he kept earning his playing time. He kept doing his work and kept going out there and doing what he does consistently. That carried a lot of currency early on in the season as the team struggled to find its identity.
“Every game that Willie comes out there, he gives it all,” Nikola Vucevic said. “He plays hard on both ends of the floor and tries to make something happen. You’ve got to admire that. Especially from a guy that’s a vet. Usually you expect that from a young guy. He’s a vet and he always comes in and brings a lot of energy, always is prepared and knows his assignment. He is one of the best guys that we have on this team. He knows the game. He has been on a lot of teams and seen a lot of stuff.”
His teammates saw the work he put in and could tell even early in the season that he would be able to contribute to the team on the court and be someone to look up to off it.
“I kind of lead by example,” Green said at the beginning of the season. “Just continue to work hard and put forth the effort. Those guys can play. They get after it. We’re going to lean on those guys this season. Hopefully we all can do our part.
“I think just our experiences and our journey throughout the league and helping those guys make the next step forward,” Green would add later in the season. “But we’re also learning. I’m going to learn from them. They are a talented young group of guys. They keep you young. And you need that in this league. We all have to do our part in helping this team win games. They are going to be asked to have big roles on this team, we understand that. When they need me, I’ll be right there for them.”
Take for instance the recent report from Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Maurice Harkless has had a rough season, appearing in 34 of Orlando’s 67 games this season after being a fixture of the Magic’s rotation the past two season.
Green has served as an encourager and mentor for Harkless as Robbins reports:
"“I talk to Willie every day,” Harkless said.“Willie’s definitely somebody that I talk to whenever I get frustrated. He’s the one to talk to. It’s always Willie.”One of the reasons the Magic picked up Green off waivers last summer was Green’s ability to relate to teammates and willingness to tutor younger players. It’s no coincidence that the Magic assigned Green a locker next to Harkless’ locker in the team’s Amway Center dressing room."
Indeed, these kind of exchanges, one could say, is the exact reason why Willie Green is in Orlando with this team. His experience being around the block and as someone who has had to scratch a decade in the league without loads of talent.
That has made him the elder statesman and veteran leader.
So even when games seem completely over, Green is the one the team can turn to and see a guy still playing hard to the final buzzer no matter what.
“He’s the ultimate professional,” Jacque Vaughn said after the Magic’s somewhat embarrassing 115-100 loss at Amway Center in January. “He is going to be ready when I call on him whether that is to play one game and not until six games later. His ability to stay focused and ready. I knew coming off the road trip a little bit, I needed us to be solid. He gives us a solid presence on the floor.”
Green has been around the block a lot of times — six teams in 11 years and his longest stint was his first seven years of his career with Philadelphia. He has been to the Playoffs seven of his 11 years in the NBA. When he talks, this young Magic team should certainly listen.
When he says the team has to find a way to win or when he says he can see something to build on, it really comes from a place of experience.
As Green put it this season: ” It takes guys in this locker room having some bumps and grumps in this business and this game to learn how to get over the hump eventually.”
The Magic are getting that.
Green has faced the bumps and bruisers of a guy that has spent a career mostly at the end of benches just trying to scratch his way through the league.
The experience he needs to share is to do the simplest thing — just play basketball and do what your team needs you to do.
“Like I tell everybody, I’m a basketball player,” Green said. “When I grew up playing basketball, you had to learn how to do all the fundamental things. You put me in any position, I pretty much know how to execute. For me, that’s what’s important. It’s not scoring, it’s not rebounding. It’s whatever I need to do at that moment.”