Despite the loss, Green had a stellar night, leading the Nuggets with 20 points in just 27 minutes. He also pitched in three assists, two rebounds and a steal. 2014 first round pick Gary Harris, with whom Green might be competing for a roster spot, had 18 points in 32-plus minutes, and added five rebounds, three assists and two steals, but shot a much poorer percentage from the field.
For the competition, Green finished second on the team in scoring at 16.6 points per game, tied for first in assists (13) and tied for second in steals (6). He also finished second on the team in PIE (Player Impact Estimate), to forward Jerrelle Benimon, who only played in three games, so his impact is skewed. The PIE is designed to measure a player's overall statistical contribution against the total statistics in games they play in. As a guide, Lebron James and Kevin Durant are the only two players in the NBA who are above 20 in PIE.
Green is fighting for a roster spot with the team, after missing out last year and being asked to play in Europe for Montepaschi Siena in the Italian League. He was the No. 46 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, and was acquired by the Nuggets in a draft night trade with the Utah Jazz. Now he will have to wait and see what Denver does in the coming days and weeks and see if his services are needed, or if he is shipped back overseas at Denver's request.
As always, we'll continue to cover the situation, and will have a post tomorrow detailing Erick's chances of making the 2014 Nuggets' roster. For that post and all things Virginia Tech basketball, Gobbler Country is the place to be.