After an impressive campaign with the G-League Ignite team last season, Jalen Green is set to take his talents to H-Town to kickstart a new era for the Houston Rockets. Houston took the Filipino-American with the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and Rockets Nation is understandably looking forward to seeing Green banner the red, white, and black.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard could be in for a huge role right away as Houston continues its rebuild with him as the franchise star. With that, here are two bold predictions for Jalen Green's debut campaign with the Rockets.
1. Jalen Green will be Houston's leading scorer
Houston will likely let Green loose the moment he puts on a Rockets uniform. With that, he should be in for numerous big scoring nights in his rookie season. Green hasn't met a shot he doesn't like and he just looks like one of those professional scorers that gets buckets whenever he wants to. He can definitely put the ball in the basket in a multitude of ways and can do so in massive scoring binges.
Green averaged 17.9 points with pretty solid shooting splits of 46-37-83 in 15 regular season games with the G-League Ignite. In their lone playoff game, the dynamic two-guard dropped 30 points and showcased his entire repertoire of moves.
Green could have some tough competition for the leading scorer plum, though. Christian Wood was the Rockets' leading scorer last year and could be in for another huge campaign. The 6-foot-10 big man averaged 21.0 points on 51.4 percent shooting in his first season in Houston. Perhaps Kevin Porter Jr. could build on a strong 26-game run with the Rockets in his sophomore season. The 6-foot-4 lefty averaged 16.6 points in the 2020-21 season.
Nonetheless, it wouldn't be far-fetched to think he could ultimately end up as Houston's leading scorer for the 2021-22 season. Thus, as mentioned, the Rockets could let him eat all he can and feature him as their main focal point on offense.
2. Jalen Green will win Rookie of the Year
Jalen Green is already among the early favorites for the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year award. Perhaps his biggest competition will be Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, the no. 1 overall pick of the draft. With both franchises in full rebuild mode, they will likely put the ball Green and Cunningham's hands most of the time.
Of course, others such as Jalen Suggs and Evan Mobley could emerge given their similar situations. However, Green could have an advantage of having played in the G-League Ignite against grown men and some NBA-caliber competition. This may make him more ready for the NBA than Cunningham, Suggs, and Mobley, all of whom played in college.
Green also has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He admittedly took offense with not getting drafted no. 1 overall. This added fuel will certainly motivate him to prove that he is indeed the top prospect of the 2021 class. Winning the Rookie of the Year could solidify his case, for the first year at least.
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