Gerald Green comes off as quiet and sometimes unassuming when you first observe him. He’s the kind of guy that will act surprised when you ask to talk to him and thank you for interviewing him after it’s over. He’s the type that seems humbled by the opportunity he’s been given after a start to his career that was rockier than most mountain ranges. It was so tumultuous in fact that it included 13 teams in nine years in three different countries after declaring for the NBA draft out of high school.
That is, until he steps on the court.
Like the way another famous green guy, the Hulk, transforms when he’s angry, the Suns Green guy transforms when he checks into a game. No longer is he mild mannered with the occasional smile that lights up a room. At the moment basketball is his sole focus, he becomes the polar opposite of his off court demeanor. He’s loud, abrasive and ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
That’s what made him such a dangerous force for the Suns last season. He was aggressive and unafraid. Offensively he had the ability to change a game single-handedly -- see the Oklahoma City game -- and never shied away from big moments -- see the Minnesota game winner.
He was a hired gun, an offensive enforcer, a difference maker and the spark that helped lift this teammates when they needed it.
His demeanor is part Bond and part Bourne, smooth, athletic and gritty. The type of NBA operative who could kill an opponent's spirit in an instant with his shot.
A Four-Finger Assassin if you will.
Four-Fingered Assassin Strikes
The nickname may seem a little out there. That was my reaction as well the first time I heard it said out loud. But when you think about it, it truly encompasses all that makes Gerald unique on the court. It shows the freak accident he had to overcome that took his ring finger on his shooting hand as a kid. It embraces his cold and calm attitude on the offensive end and his ability to strike at any second with an acrobatic dunk that brings the crowd to its feet and the opposition to its knees.
Oh, and the nickname has Gerald’s approval. In fact, he’s excited by the idea of it.
They say it’s the quiet unassuming guys you have to keep an eye on. In Gerald Green’s case, it’s the teams on the other end of the court that need to pay attention. You just never know when or where the Four-Finger Assassin might strike.