Jalen Green has a golden opportunity to make Rockets regret shipping him off

As the Houston Rockets pulled the trigger on their blockbuster trade for superstar Kevin Durant, the unfortunate reality of sending young star Jalen Green to the Phoenix Suns seemed like a necessary reality.

However, despite the obvious flaws in his game and his questionable fit within the Rockets' hard-nosed style of play, Green has a golden opportunity, with unlimited runway and a highly capable playmaker by his side, to make Houston regret their decision to include him in the trade.

As the Rockets appear set to be a serious contender in the Western Conference, it is likely that they will have very few regrets if the Durant experiment pays as many dividends as they expect it to. Yet, if Green takes the necessary strides in his game toward becoming a bona-fide star, there could be fans looking back wistfully at what could have been.

Jalen Green could become a star this season with the Phoenix Suns

Last season in Houston, Green averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists, shooting 35.4% from 3-point range and helping to keep the team's struggling offense afloat for large portions of the season.

Yet, in the playoffs, the frustrating, up-and-down nature of his game was on full display yet again. In four of the team's seven games against the Golden State Warriors, Green only scored single digits.

At the same time, he exploded in a pivotal Game 2 win, scoring 38 points and knocking eight of his 18 attempts from beyond the arc.

This series in and of itself represents what the Green experience was like in Houston. Although the young guard constantly showed flashes of his elite potential, his poor shot selection and penchant for turnover-prone play made his continued development exceedingly frustrating for fans of the team.

Therefore, it made perfect sense to ship him off for Durant: an all-time talent who will truly lift the Rockets into contention.

Yet, Green, who will now be the starting shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns, has a chance to round out some of the rough edges of his game this season, and it's important not to forget that, if he does so, he still has a serious chance to be one of the most formidable offensive players in the league.

While the Suns, by all measures, appear as though they will be bottom feeders this season, this could allow for a massive runway for Green to make mistakes without the threat of being benched or traded. Moreover, the presence of star playmaker Devin Booker alongside him in their backcourt will allow him to work off the ball more effectively, eliminating some opportunities for his common missteps and perhaps allowing him to hone in his perimeter shot to an even greater extent.

Therefore, while it is unlikely that Houston will ever regret their splash move for Durant, it is possible that Green accelerating his development could cause them to regret shipping him off in the trade.