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3 reason why the Houston Rockets should draft Jalen Green

By N.B. Lindberg

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Jalen Green #4 of the G League Ignite brings the ball up the floor during a G-League game against the Westchester Knicks at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on February 18, 2021 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Jalen Green #4 of the G League Ignite brings the ball up the floor during a G-League game against the Westchester Knicks at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on February 18, 2021 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. /
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Houston Rockets, NBA Draft
Jalen Green #4 of the G League Ignite (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Reason #2 why the Houston Rockets should select Jalen Green in the NBA Draft: Best scorer

Basketball at its core is all about buckets. Scoring has been and will always remain the most important skill in the game. Players can be great through their defense, preventing scoring, or through their passing, creating shots for others, but the fact remains that players that can create and convert their own points will always reign supreme.

As a pure scorer, no player in this draft is as talented as Jalen Green. He bested both Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs in scoring volume and efficiency and did so against professionals, not Pac-12 and WCC amateurs.

While Suggs and Mobley are viewed as his competition for the second pick, Green, as a scorer, holds his own with the presumptive number one pick, Cade Cunningham. On a per-minute basis, his scoring was essentially on par with Cunningham’s and he did that without the benefit of a college 3-point line or helpless Big-12 defenders.

Jalen Green vs Cade Cunningham per 36 minutes

                              PTS     FGA    FTA     2P%        3P%       FT%

Jalen Green:     20.2    15.3    2.6    52.9%    36.5%    82.9%

Cunningham:  20.5    15.0    5.9    46.1%    40.0%    84.6%

Green is a monster in transition, makes instinctive cuts to the basket, and is near unstoppable in isolation situations due to his combination of burst, body control, and shooting touch. Cunningham has a more advanced bag of tricks, but in terms of raw scoring horsepower, Green is a few steps ahead of the competition.

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As Green’s game matures there won’t be a thing defenders can do to stop him. Usually, hyper-athletic guards enter the league with questions about their jump shot, but Green looks set to be an average 3-point shooter from day one.

There are concerns about Green’s passing and defensive focus but when it comes to his scoring there are no doubts. Green looks poised to have multiple seasons where he averages 25 plus points per game and is the best bet from this draft class to win a scoring title.

Next: Reason #1