Rowan Kavner

MIAMI – Willie Green sprinted toward the Clippers’ bench, quickly greeting Clippers players and sharing an embrace with head coach Doc Rivers before jaunting over to the center of the court for tip-off.

It was Green’s first start of the season Wednesday for the Magic against his former team, but he wasn’t going to stiff the players he helped teach and grow on the other side of the court.

“I’m friends with those guys,” Green said. “We had some good battles together as a team. That bond is already created, and you’re still going to reach out to guys and check in and see how they’re doing. They’ll do the same.”

Rivers is still imagining a day Green is sitting next to him on the bench once again. Only in this scenario, it’s more as a coach.

The Clippers’ head coach said it’s more a question of “if” than “when” Green, who spent the last two seasons playing for the Clippers, decides he wants to stop playing and become a coach. Rivers said he “absolutely” would want to work with Green, and he’s shared that with his former player.

“I’ve told him that before,” Rivers said. “When he’s done running around in tight shorts, he can come and sit next to me in a tight suit.”

The Clippers never wanted Green to go. They put him on waivers June 29 and thought he’d end up back on the squad. By June 30, they found out the Magic claimed him.

“We were not very happy with the Magic on that one,” Rivers said. “We just assumed no one would pick him up. Willie’s one of those guys you just want around. He reminds me, and I’m saying this more as a reference here, of when I had Darrell Armstrong. There are certain guys that you want to keep on your team forever. Willie can play, but even if he can’t play anymore, I still want to keep him.”

It was tough at first for both Rivers and Green, who knew it was a possibility he’d head back to the Clippers but found himself on a young, largely unproven Magic squad.

“One part of you is disappointed and the other side of you is excited to kind of have a fresh start,” Green said. “It was rough at first, but like anything, you go to a team, you get acclimated with the guys and you jell together and you start working together.”

Green’s ability to adapt – whether starting or on the bench, playing 30 minutes or no minutes – should help him should he decide to coach. Rivers said Green’s earned credibility in the locker room, and the Clippers also miss having him because of his ability to “tell the truth.”

What Jamal Crawford misses most is Green’s calming influence. Crawford came to the Clippers the same year as Green in 2012 and immediately was struck by his presence.

“He was so professional,” Crawford said. “I’m not sure I’ve played with a better teammate. He’s a guy who started, I think, 60 games my first year here. He would either start or he would barely play, and he was OK with that. He was just the ultimate professional. He’s a guy any team would be lucky to have.”

Crawford hit it on the money off the top of his head. Green started 60 games the 2012-13 season but only played 16 minutes a game. That didn’t matter to Green, who understood his role.

There were times he played 38 minutes one game and 14 the next. He played 23 minutes one game and seven the next. A year later, he went from starting 60 games to just nine.

Crawford’s accustomed to coming off the bench, but he said he couldn’t begin to explain how he’d feel with a similar inconsistent workload.

“That’s just a tribute to his character, honestly,” Crawford said. “Same smile every day. Competed every day, made guys better.”

And it’s not that Green couldn’t play, as Rivers and Crawford both mentioned. Crawford remembers a specific time Green, who averages 8.4 points per game for his career, made him look particularly foolish at practice.

He made Crawford look silly enough on a crossover that Crawford felt he had to tweet about it.

Crawford said Green brought the whole package on and off the court, and there’s no question in Crawford’s mind that Green’s capable of making the transition to coaching, should he choose.

“His basketball IQ, his patience, his knowledge of the game, the way he communicates – he’s a great communicator with guys, he knows how to talk to different guys,” Crawford said. “He just approaches them differently at different times. He just gets it.”

Now the question becomes whether or not that’s something Green wants to do.

For now, Green’s focus is on the Magic and playing the game. As difficult as it was for him to leave the Clippers, who had just made a run in the playoffs, he looked at the move with a positive spin.

“I have an opportunity to really kind of put my stamp on these young guys and help them with their careers moving forward,” Green said. “I just remember when guys did it for me; Kevin Ollie, Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, Greg Buckner, I had good, veteran guys around me. It really helps you throughout the rest of your career, because you see guys do it the right way. They come in, get their work in, be professional, just handle situations appropriately. That’s what the NBA is about.”

Those sound a lot like traits of a future head coach. One of his mentors, Ollie, has already made that transition as he leads the Connecticut men’s program. Green said it’s encouraging to see the trend of former NBA players becoming head coaches, even if his mind isn’t on that right now.

Green, who’s now in his 12th NBA season, isn’t sure how long he’ll be able to keep playing. He evaluates that every year. But he believes if he does things the right way and stays on the right path, opportunities will open up for him after basketball.

When he had his talks with Rivers about the possibility of coaching, he thanked Rivers for the consideration. He also knew it wouldn’t be the last time it would come up.

“Hopefully, those opportunities are presented,” Green said. “But I never know where God is going to lead me. First and foremost, I try to make sure that I’m in line with what he wants me to do. Then, from there, whatever opportunities are available, I’ll look at all of them.”