Houston Rockets Rookie Jalen Green Hitting His Stride

It has been a turbulent debut season for the second overall pick in last summer’s draft. After Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley burst out of the gates to help push Cleveland atop the Eastern Conference standings, many wondered if the Houston Rockets had made a mistake by selecting Jalen Green above Mobley. But Green’s recent play, particularly since the start of February is reminding people that these types of debates take years to settle.

On the year, Green is now averaging 15.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, shooting 41.0% from the field and 31.8% on 3s. But since February 1, he’s averaging 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, shooting 48.2% from the field and 37.6% on seven attempts per game. The improvement has been very clear to anyone watching. He has even mixed in a block in each of his last few games, seemingly realizing he can use his athleticism in more ways than one.

A dive into Green’s statistical profile reveals some very encouraging details. Per Synergy Sports, in isolation, Green is considered ‘very good’ – these plays have resulted in .956 points per possession. After a hand-off, he’s also considered ‘very good’ – these plays have resulted in .987 points per possession.

When the defense commits after a Green isolation, the play has resulted in 1.176 points per possession, rated as ‘excellent.’ When Green isolates from the left side and the defense commits, the result has been 1.417 points per possession; from the right side, such kicks result in 1.25 points per possession.

One can see how devastating Green has been when utilizing his blinding first step against single coverage. While the sample size is small and should regress slightly with a heavier workload, one can expect an improved handle as Green matures to serve as an offsetting effect.

Against the Dallas Mavericks on March 11, Green had what would be considered an off game for his recent standards, scoring just 11 points on 5/11 from the floor, in 26 minutes. Nevertheless, the Rockets must be excited about the development of their star prospect.