Rookie of the Day: Jalen Green
Trey Murphy III and Davion Mitchell were my “Rookies of the Day” on Monday, but Jalen Green was hands down my favorite rookie to watch over the course of Day 3. Sharife Cooper and Chris Duarte also had strong showings, but I just cannot stop watching Jalen Green play!
Every time Green takes the court, he is getting better and better, which is a scary sign for the rest of the league. These are just Summer League games and the competition is very much less than that of an actual NBA game, but this guy is going to make an impact in Houston right away and if I had to pick someone to win Rookie of the Year right now, it would be Jalen Green.
Athleticism is his core strength, as he is as explosive as they come at the guard position, but the No. 2 overall pick is so much more than a freak athlete. He can make plays for others and most importantly, he is not really a selfish player. Time and time again on Tuesday, Jalen Green looked to get his teammates involved and he found success doing so.
With Kevin Porter Jr. as his running mate in the backcourt for the Rockets during the 2021-22 season, Jalen Green is going to not only be able to thrive off-the-ball, but he is going to be able to really push the tempo for the Houston Rockets.
READ MORE: 2021 NBA Summer League Day 2 Review & Headlines
Running in transition is a big strength of his right now and against the Pistons, Green was able to attack in transition with his teammates in K.J. Martin and Josh Christopher time and time again. Scoring is held at a premium in today’s league and given his abilities to go on 7-0 or better runs by himself, Jalen Green is going to continue getting better and quite possibly could end up leading the league in scoring one day.
Buy stock in Jalen Green now because the sky’s the limit for this kid! The future is very bright for the Houston Rockets and their No. 2 overall pick is now the face of their franchise in the post-Harden era.
