After being selected No. 1 overall in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft, Anthony Edwards had a slow start to his rookie year in Minnesota before catching fire in the season’s second half. The second-year wing then used that as a springboard to a more sustained breakthrough in year two, which drew heavy All-Star consideration earlier this year.
So far, Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green — drafted No. 2 overall in 2021 — has followed a similar career template. After struggling with inefficiency early on, Green improved significantly as the 2021-22 year moved along, finishing with a historic 30+ point scoring streak and the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for March/April games.
So, does that mean that Green will play at a potential All-Star level in 2022-23? His rookie teammate, Usman Garuba, seems to think so.
In a new Q&A with Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype, Garuba weighs in:
The sky’s the limit for him. He’ll be an All-Star for sure. And I think he’s going to be the NBA’s leading scorer in a few years. We have to help him to achieve those goals. He’s by far the player that has surprised me the most this year. We all know how good was Anthony Edwards this season, right? Green will play like him next year, maybe even better.
Time will tell as to how Green’s second season plays out. But so far, he’s tracking very closely to what Edwards has done with the Timberwolves.
Barrigon’s complete interview with Garuba can be read here.
Usman Garuba: 'Jalen Green is going to be the NBA's leading scorer in a few years' @Usmangaruba @JalenGreen @HoustonRockets https://t.co/qNyAIqCQfZ
— Raúl Barrigón (@BarriHoopsHype) May 9, 2022
