Donte

Greene

Keith Smart likes to change up his looks when a starting slot is up for grabs, so it could be Garcia or Donte Greene when the Kings go down to Staples for the revenge match on Saturday. It does make sense, however, that Smart uses the same logic and starts Garcia, who would be worth a look if you’re hunting cheap steals, blocks, and threes on a one-game pop.

Thompson had four points and three rebounds in 17 minutes, while Greene finished with four points and one rebound in 17 minutes. As this box score suggests, neither guy is a reliable fantasy option.

The highly-athletic and tall Greene started at power forward against the Suns to try to defend Channing Frye. Greene is not expected to start Monday’s game against the Nuggets, instead shifting back to a reserve role behind Jason Thompson.

The move could be situational, since the Suns feature two ‘stretch’ PFs in Channing Frye and Markieff Morris. Greene has intriguing fantasy appeal if and when he’s playing 30+ minutes, so keep a close eye on his role this week.

Keith Smart is showing that he’s going to play matchups, and forgive us but we’re more concerned about the status of Isaiah Thomas than either of the aforementioned forwards. We’ll see how things play out tonight.

Greene was brought on to check Dirk Nowitzki and has turned into a once-in-a-while swing PF, but we need to see more consistency before giving him much fantasy attention. That said, Greene’s game is fantasy friendly with his ability to hit the three and block shots, and he has the love of fans and management after playing a nice role during the arena push.

This isn’t bad for the run Thompson got, and we’re not concerned about Greene taking over the starting job. Until Keith Smart stops playing the matchups with Thompson, though, he’ll be a tough guy to rely on in fantasy leagues.

Smart said starting Donte Greene instead of Jason Thompson at PF on Tuesday was because he likes to start Greene against “hybrid fours” who play power forward based on a good perimeter game. Dirk Nowitzki, the opposing power forward on Tuesday, certainly fits that bill. Smart has also done this against Channing Frye and Phoenix earlier in the season and that this matchup-dictated change will only happen “six to eight times per year.” Thompson is still the clear-cut starter here and should be in most lineups down the stretch.

Greene added one block, and his 3-point range has at times made him an intriguing fantasy sleeper, but he’s not a viable option while Thompson is day-to-day.

Greene’s line has some nice elements here, but he’s really not a stat producer in his current role with the Kings. And since we’re learning quickly that Keith Smart is capable of providing misinformation about injuries (he believes it provides a competitive advantage) -- owners will just want to watch Thompson’s situation closely. We don’t think JT is injured seriously, but a long-term absence might change our mind on Greene.