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The rebuilding Houston Rockets secured the no.2 pick for the 2020-21 NBA Draft. The Rockets now have a fabulous chance of capitalizing on the 2021 NBA Draft, choosing some of the best young players to pair up with the likes of Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood to accelerate their rebuilding process.
Developing young players is a great way to build a strong squad for the future, which could help any team immensely in their pursuit of achieving the results they aim for.
Initially, most of the mock drafts by various analysts projected USC Trojans' center Evan Mobley to be the no.2 pick. But with G-League Ignite guard Jalen Green's stock rising of late, there is a possibility that he could be on Houston's radar instead.
Jalen Green appears to be one such player who could help the Houston Rockets return to becoming a force in the Western Conference again. On that note, let's dissect three key reasons why the Houston Rockets should pick Jalen Green (if available) with their no.2 pick in the 2020-21 NBA Draft.
#3 Jalen Green has proved with his G-League exploits that he is ready for the NBA
Jalen Green made a bold move by choosing to play in the NBA G-League instead of playing college basketball. He performed at a high level that belied his age, which has now made him extremely confident and well prepared to play in the NBA.
Green played for the G-League's development team, G-League Ignite. He averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46.1% from the field and 36.5% from downtown. In his team's only playoff game, he scored 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds to go with three steals per game.
Such staggering numbers in his debut pro-season are a great testament to the fact that Jalen Green could hit the ground running with the Houston Rockets or any other team that drafts him. It speaks volumes about how much he backs himself despite being only 19.
The Houston Rockets could benefit immensely from a player who could provide them with a spark right from his rookie year. Jalen Green is definitely one of them, making him an ideal player to be drafted by a rebuilding team, who would give him opportunities to develop and settle at the highest stage.
#2 Jalen Green could help the Houston Rockets improve offensively
The Houston Rockets had the fourth-worst offensive rating in the league last season. Yes, injuries and the fact that they committed to a rebuild mid-season played a role in that. But they struggled in the early stages of the campaign as well when they were winning only because of Christian Wood's solid performances after James Harden's departure.
Jalen Green proved during his G-League stint how much of an efficient scorer he can be, displaying a wide array of offensive skill-set. He has the speed, explosion and ability to finish at the rim and shoot from distance, which makes him difficult to contain for opposition defenses. His 6' 5" frame is also a bonus in that regard, especially when shooting over shorter guards.
Green is also a confident dribbler and is a tough one-on-one matchup because of how quickly he can move around and create space to make shots. He needs some improvement with his playmaking, but he showed last season that he is a much better passer.
He is also not the kind of player to take an excessive number of shots. Green averaged just 13 attempts per game and was good with his decision-making, especially about when to move the ball and when to shoot. Many scouts have lauded his ability to understand in-game situations and his basketball IQ that was on full display in his debut pro-season.
#1 League insiders 'love' the idea of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. playing together
The Houston Rockets discovered a gem in Kevin Porter Jr. this season. The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard did not play a single game for the Cavs during the 2020-21 NBA campaign but flourished with the Rockets when given the opportunity.
He averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists per game, doing so on 42% field goal shooting, making 14 attempts per game. The shooting guard also recorded a career-best 50 points against the Milwaukee Bucks during the regular season. Porter is now considered one of the building blocks of the team and is their prized asset.
As per Kelly Iko of The Athletic, people in the league 'love the idea' of pairing Jalen Green with Kevin Porter Jr. to form the team's long-term backcourt. Both players could play team basketball and help develop each other's games, and the Rockets could boast of one of the best young backcourts in the league for years.
It will also give the Houston Rockets a good reason to offload John Wall next season, as he is roughly owed $8 million over the next two seasons.
