You barely notice Josh Green’s Australian accent over the phone. You occasionally hear it in words like “have” and “basketball” when he phonetically lengthens his A’s, a reminder that he spent the first 14 years of his life growing up in Sydney before he and his family moved to Arizona. He’s proudly Australian, but he’s probably more American than half of the Mavericks locker room, one that the rookie has been thrown into during perhaps the most tumultuous offseason and draft process the NBA has ever seen. Now, as the Mavericks still have four players missing due to the league’s health and safety protocol, he’s been thrown into games and even the starting lineup.
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Green’s best game yet came Wednesday when the rookie played 23 minutes and tallied career bests in points (eight) and rebounds (six). I chatted with Green on Thursday night after he had finished practice and treatment. Here’s our wide-ranging conversation, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity
Let’s just start with the breaking news of the day from a media availability you had earlier: You’re a coffee guy before games. Is that just the arena coffee? Like, what type of coffee are we talking? Just whatever’s available?
I’ve always been a huge coffee guy. Even if it’s, like, throughout the day, I have a lot of coffee. It’s just one of those things. I just enjoy it. So I have it in the morning. I have it in the afternoon sometimes. Sometimes two times in the afternoon, you know, maybe three times a day. But for me, I just like coffee. There’s some good coffee shops in Dallas which I go to. But yeah, overall I just like coffee, you know, whether it’s the hotel coffee – the hotel coffee is not the best, but it’s whatever. So, yeah, I’m a huge coffee guy.
I’m also one, so right there with you. Are you making it home? Do you have a French press or a Chemex or any of that fancy stuff yet?
Yes, I have an espresso machine at home.
There you go.
So there are different coffees I like throughout the day. In the morning, I do more of a strong coffee. Just a straight coffee with a little bit of milk and some sugar and stuff. But then later on the day, I have something not as strong. But yeah, at home, I do have my (espresso) machine for sure.
Sounds like you have it figured out. I have no clue how you guys go to sleep after a late game. Especially if you’re doing caffeine, but then there’s the adrenaline and everything. Do games just wear you out?
I don’t even do it to get energy, to be honest with you. I literally just do it just because I enjoy coffee — like, honestly, I don’t get a caffeine fix. I just actually like really enjoy coffee. But after games, I don’t think it does anything to me. And I think I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted after games. I’m ready to know when we’re back on the plane or we’re back in the hotel, man, I’m ready to sleep.
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Man, that’s funny. Yeah, I can do maybe two cups in a day and nothing after 4 p.m., otherwise I’m wired until, you know, 2 a.m., 3 a.m. Anyway, I wasn’t expecting to talk that much coffee, but once you said it, I had to bring it up. So, this obviously isn’t the start of your career that anyone would have expected. Is there a moment where it started to click where you really started to feel comfortable on the court and everything’s coming together for you?
It’s one of those things (where) it’s not just one particular game. I think you learn so much throughout every single game you play. It’s only 48 minutes of play, but during that time, whether you’re on the court or off the court, there’s so much to learn. And, for me, I feel like it’s one of those things you can take one step at a time. And, yeah, I mean, I think it’s fun. You know, it’s honestly really fun. But I think the last couple games, I’ve really started to feel a lot more confident, especially on the offensive end. I think it’s one of those gradual things. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting to just get thrown into it this quickly, but, you know, I’m all for it. I’m ready to go and do as much as I can to help the team out.
Alright, there’s one play I want to ask you about. It’s not the fadeaway you took (Wednesday) night, although that was ballsy. I know a lot of people enjoyed that. So I think you’ve thrown two alley-oops to Willie (Cauley-Stein). The second one, he dunked it, but the first one I think he got fouled on. Am I remembering that right?
Was it in the game yesterday?
No, it was one when you first started playing minutes, maybe six or seven games into the season.
I know exactly, yeah.
Yeah, and he got fouled, but I just remember it was an ambitious pass. And I just want to know, was there ever any doubt in your head that you’re gonna throw that? Because I remember, you know, it’s two-on-one. I was thinking in my head, is he gonna do it? Was there ever a doubt?
No, there was no doubt in my head. I trust Willie, like, he really is one of the most – probably the most athletic big I’ve been around. So, you know, he moves his feet really well. And yeah, I was gonna (do it) 100 percent. And I think it shows, you know, even though that one didn’t go through, I knew the next time I had the opportunity to throw it to him every time.
And you trust in your passing, too.
Yeah, I definitely trust in my playmaking. I feel like I can make plays (really) well. I’m just making reads and, you know, whatever feels right in the game is whatever feels right.
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Sure. You’ve been good on defense so far. That’s obviously your strength. Has anything surprised you about, you know, defending grown NBA players?
It’s one of those things where you need to look at it, like, you can’t completely shut them out of the game. They’re the best scorers around the world, you know? They have a lot of their tricks. As far as all that, I think being able to defend players like that, you’re able to learn a lot. And for me, I make mistakes, as does everybody else on the floor. And being a defensive guy, my goal is to be able to break that down in film and make sure it doesn’t happen again in the next game, and I think everything like that just comes in time. So obviously there’s been times where players, they’ve got (me), they’ve done really well against me. They’ve got their buckets and all that. But, yeah, I think it’s just more of a thing where it’s really just taking everything in and just learning as much as I can.
Is there an example that comes to mind or something you saw on film, and you’re like, “Oh, I’m not doing this thing right. Let me make sure I fix it.” And then by the next game, you feel like you’re improving on that even this early in your career?
As far as, like, who’s done a good job?
Yeah, yeah.
Something I know, or (something) I need to work on?
Either one, really.
I think the biggest thing (that) I’ve learned is playing guys off screens and everything like that, and how high you really have to get into play. And that’s been a huge thing I’ve been continuing to watch film on. It’s just like, in certain situations, it’s awkward, you know, pressing up against somebody so high on the court. I think Malcolm Brogdon did a great job of being able to use a screen yesterday. But yeah, it’s just certain situations where it’s hard, but it’s just trying to make it a little bit harder for the player to score.
I think screen setting is a good example of something that you have no clue, like, how good professional NBA players really are until you experience it.
Getting hit by those screens takes a toll on your body, for sure.
Yeah, those are next-level athletes, just nothing you’ve ever seen before. So I know you were a big NBA fan growing up, I know you liked Dirk. What was your impression of him just over the years before you got here?
He’s amazing. A great player to watch and honestly, you know, he’s one of those players (that’s) a very humble guy. Never a big mouth himself or anything like that. He was never talking about himself (or) hyping himself up. He’s an amazing player. As far as that (goes), it’s cool what he’s done in his career, which is amazing. So I think just being able to watch good basketball and (in) the Kobe era, Kobe was my favorite player growing up so being able to watch Kobe and Dirk battle against each other was always cool. And I still watch stuff like that.
He’s obviously the best player who’s ever played for the Mavericks, and a lot of the culture has been set by him. I’m curious, does his name come up a lot? Does (Rick) Carlisle bring him up? Or the other players who played with him?
Um, honestly, it’s kind of hard to tell. Honestly, I haven’t really been here for the longest amount of time, so I don’t know. But, you know, around the locker room, you see pictures of Dirk everywhere. I would say he’s a huge part of Dallas, (and) I think he will always be so, yeah, he’s everywhere.
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You’re an international player, but you actually lived here in the United States, for at least a few years. I know that you identify as Australian, that’s important to you. But I wonder if you feel even more at home having so many international players in that locker room, while you’re also someone who comes from Australia.
Yeah, it’s cool to have different people around from other countries. It’s something obviously some people aren’t used to, but for me, I see it, as, this is definitely positive. You know, everybody has a story. Everybody has all that. So, you know, it’s crazy we have so many people from all around the world on one team.
Yeah, the locker room had an Australian accent there for a couple years with Ryan Broekhoff, so it’s about time to get one back in there. I’m sure that mostly you’re just trying to make sure Luka (Doncic) and Kristaps (Porzingis) aren’t talking in Spanish to each other or something.
Man, they’re always (doing that). All of them, Boban, etc. Always speaking in their respective languages.
What’s Luka like off the court, you know, as just a dude who’s pretty much the same age?
Luka is a great. Very nice guy. Like, he’s very easily a lot older than what he appears, as far as like his actual age. He’s been great. He’s a good leader for our team. Very competitive, and every single day in practice, he makes it better with his competitiveness and being able to look out for young guys, because, you know, he was a rookie only two seasons ago as well.
Have you lost money — or, let’s just say, have you lost shooting bets to him? Because, boy, he loves to do that.
Yeah, no, I’m pretty smart with my money. Yeah, I’m pretty smart. For sure.
Well, you’re already adapting well in terms of being a rookie and all that. What is the challenge of not having as much time around teammates and around coaches, just given the pandemic circumstances? And how are you dealing with the extra isolation that comes with being on the road and, you know, lots of the time just being stuck in hotel rooms?
Yeah, I mean it’s obviously hard. It’s not something which (has been) super easy to do. I’ve always been more of a person who’s kept to himself, but it’s always good to be able to get out and go to dinner and stuff like that on the road. On the road, you know, you’re on your own unless you’re (at) a team activity. Except for team meetings or practices, you’re isolated to yourself. So it’s tough in that instance, but I’m just really happy to be able to do the thing which I love as a profession and, you know, whatever comes along with that comes along with that. I see it as more time where I can watch film, extra film and just correct myself on what I need to improve on. So I think it gives you good time to focus on basketball a little more. Even though your coaches aren’t there, you’re still able to do everything you can to watch film and see what you need to do to improve on it. (And) at the same time, I travel with my PlayStation everywhere, so I’m able to go.
Yeah, I was just going to ask if you’re a guy who takes the console on the road and stuff. You’re a FIFA guy, right?
Yeah, I play FIFA all the time.
Yeah, it seems like a lot of the locker room does, right?
Yeah, they do … Luka plays. Jalen Brunson plays, Tyrell Terry plays. Josh Richardson.
Well, y’all are gonna have to get a tournament going or something. That’s a must for this season.
Yeah, for sure. For sure. We’ll get that going.
(Photo: Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
