In a new video from the Houston Rockets celebrating Jalen Green’s All-Rookie First Team honor, general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas shared their perspectives on why he’s special.
Green averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Rockets this year, and the 6-foot-6 guard got progressively better as the 2021-22 season moved along. To finish his rookie campaign in March and April, when Green won Western Conference Rookie of the Month, the 20-year-old averaged 22.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 48.4% overall and 39.5% on 3-pointers.
Green scored 20-plus points in 15 of those 22 games, including a historic streak of five straight 30-plus point games from March 28 through April 5. That was the second-longest streak by a rookie since 1971-72. He scored a career-high 41 points in the season finale versus Atlanta.
For the season, Green ranked second in rookie scoring and was 0.14 points per game shy of the lead. Green hit 157 3-pointers, tied for the fourth-most through the first 67 games by any player in NBA history.
While Green’s physical attributes and statistics are clearly impressive, Stone and Silas sound equally impressed by his mental approach. Read on for their perspectives on Green’s rookie season in Houston.