Erick Green, who was waived by the Denver Nuggets on November 5 to clear a roster spot for Kostas Papanikolaou, scored 40 points in his second game with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League on Sunday night after being acquired by the team on Saturday. Green sure looked like a player who deserves another shot at the NBA in this game, shooting 52.2% from the field, notching 6 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists in the loss against the Santa Cruz Warriors. Combined with a 23-point performance in his first game with the Bighorns, he is now leading the D-League in scoring at 31.5 points a game. Check out the video highlights of his 40-point performance on Sunday, where you can see him hitting three-pointers and mid-range jump shots, attacking the basket and running the floor.
Green averaged only 3.2 points a game for the Nuggets in just over a season, but averaged only 9.1 minutes of action. The Nuggets, dealing with multiple injuries to their frontcourt, decided it was better to bring on Papanikolaou than to keep a third-string point guard around. It's probably better for Green's development to get some playing time anyway he can, and it's definitely good to see him making the most of this opportunity already. One thing is for sure, though: if Green keeps dominating the minor league like this, he may not be out of the NBA for much longer. Hopefully he can land on a team that needs his offensive firepower so he can finally play a significant role in the pros.
