Green Thrilled By Nets Prospects

Gerald Green almost hit his teeth on the rim, on his way down from an alley-oop Tuesday in Dallas. His teeth. When, if ever, have the Nets ever had to worry about dental bills caused by collisions with a circular piece of iron?

Such is the athleticism of Green, a 6'8" small forward who was once compared with Tracy McGrady, but drifted so far from the NBA that for two years he played for a team in Russia called Lokomotiv Kuban.

Right now, Green is just hoping to stick with the Nets through his first 10-day deal, promising his days of battling coaches and poor work habits are behind him. "You know what? You’ve just got to take it day by day, and game by game," he said. "I don’t want to think ahead."

Now 26 and the only player to win dunk contests at the MacDonald's All-American Game and at the NBA and D-League All-Star Weekends, Green admits being thrilled by his Nets' call-up. "I was screaming in the car at the top of my lungs," he said. "I just didn’t know what to do — just because it’s been a long journey."

• Nets' Gerald Green, NBA journeyman, gives team athleticism it lacks at forward - Colin Stephenson - Star-Ledger