The past three games haven’t been kind to Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green, who is averaging just 5.7 points in 26.7 minutes on ghastly shooting percentages of 15.0% overall and 11.8% on 3-pointers.
But in addition to acknowledging the small sample, it’s important to remember the context. In a rebuilding season, the Rockets have essentially thrown the 19-year-old “in the deep end,” as general manager Rafael Stone calls it. The No. 2 overall pick from the first round of the 2021 NBA draft is playing starter’s minutes on a bad team, and he’s often facing top defenders from opponents who are more talented.
That puts Green in a worse position to be efficient relative to rookies who are playing with better teams, or those who are able to stay fresher and find more advantageous matchups due to playing off the bench.
When asked recently by Kelly Iko of The Athletic about Green’s first NBA season, Stone pointed to that type of context:
I’m super happy with Jalen. He’s immensely talented. When you’re that gifted, the world is your oyster — but only if you really want to work for it. I couldn’t be happier with his work ethic. He’s a great teammate, really smart.
He just really grinds, and we threw him in the deep end. Some of the best defenders in the NBA on some of the best teams in the NBA were guarding him from Game 1. We did that because we trust that he can handle it and that it will speed up his learning curve. The improvement he’s made since Day 1 is just fast. He’s just on a great curve, from my perspective. So, we’re really happy.
“We do want to be aggressive.”
Two weeks before the deadline, GM Rafael Stone says he will "make sure that we’re talking to everybody.”
The Rockets GM sits down to discuss Houston's young core, the rebuild and more.
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— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) January 27, 2022
For the 2021-22 season as a whole, Green is averaging 14.2 points and 3.2 rebounds for the Rockets in 29.9 minutes, and he’s shooting 37.4% from the field and 29.1% on 3-pointers.
At some point, Green’s efficiency and defense will need to improve to justify his lofty draft status, but halfway through his rookie season at 19 years old is still extremely early in the process. Moreover, Stone believes that in the long run, this level of exposure can speed up his development.
For now, the relative struggles are fairly understandable, and the Rockets are banking on Green’s intelligence and work ethic to shore up his deficiencies as the weeks, months, and years progress.
