The Houston Rocketswent from heaven to hell in just one season. They went from being one of the powerhouses of the NBA to having one of the worst records right after James Harden forced a trade out of the team.
Luckily for them, the front office made the most of that situation and grabbed multiple promising players in the 2021 NBA Draft, such as Josh Christopher, Usman Garuba, and Alperen Sengun. Obviously, none of them with the upside of Jalen Green.
Jalen Green promises to be one of the league’s deadliest scorers and most entertaining players. And while he wasn’t the first-overall pick, some scouts believe that he’ll be the best player in this class.
Jalen Green’s Height
Standing at 6’5” and 180 pounds, Jalen Green has a 6.75” wingspan and 8’5” standing reach. He’s 19.5 years old so there’s a chance that he’ll grow even more, and he’ll definitely bulk up when he starts working under an NBA development program.
Jalen Green: Scouting Report
Jalen Green was the first top-tier recruit to skip NCAA basketball and join the G-League Ignite Team to prepare for the NBA Draft. That didn’t hurt his draft stock the slightest and helped him develop his craft playing against grown men and professionals.
Green is one of the most athletic players in the league and he hasn’t even played a single minute. He can jump off the gym and is a highlight reel in the making every time he sets foot on the hardwood.
Scoring just comes naturally to him. He can knock down shots from all three levels but won’t hesitate to attack and finish above or below the rim with either hand. He’s got the ability to create separation from his defender in the blink of an eye thanks to his crafty moves.
While not a good defender, his lateral quickness makes us think that he could be somewhat decent at the NBA level as long as he stays committed, which has been the issue with him up to this point.
There’s no doubt that he can be a 25+ points-per-game scorer in the NBA but as it usually happens with pure scorers, they can be streaky; so efficiency can become an issue for him early in his career.
Most scouts have compared him to Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine but I’d like to say he’s a combination of both. He’s way more athletic than Beal and a better shooter than LaVine was when he entered the league, but he’s not as good as a playmaker as either of them.
Jalen Green: Contract
As the second-overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Jalen Green will be entitled to the second-largest contract in his class. He’s expected to earn $34 million ($15.4 million guaranteed) over the next 4 years.
