Why Jalen Green will win ROY: Proven and dynamic scoring
Of the top picks in the draft, their specializations tend to come down to playmaking, defense, athleticism; the usual. What separates Green from the rest of the 2021 NBA Draft’s top picks is that he is, without question, the most capable scorer amongst them all.
In the G-League, Green averaged just under 18 points a game, doing so while maintaining 61.3 percent True Shooting, much of which can be attributed to his impressive 82.9 percent shooting from the charity stripe. While his 3-point shot, a 36.5 percent clip on 5.7 attempts per game, could certainly use some improvement, it does remain an impressively high mark for such a high-volume scorer, and a capable at-the-rim-finisher at that.
Through the summer league, Green simply would not let up, posting 20.3 points per game on 51/53/93 shooting. To put this in perspective, Green attempted only 12.3 shots per contest, a mark lower than the next 17 highest scorers below him. Furthermore, Green shot 52.6 percent on 6.3 attempts per game from deep. Of those attempts, what stands out most is Green’s proficiency when spotting up off-ball, and shooting the ball off the catch.
It is within expectations for a high-volume scoring guard to take, and make, a number of off-dribble threes at a league-average mark, but Green managed not only to force defenders to stay with him well beyond three feet past the arc but to stay tight to his stationary and mobile off-ball looks. His spot-up precision having previously been an inconsistency in Green’s game seems to now be trending in a positive direction.
Of course, when a scorer of Green’s caliber begins to pour in buckets from any number of spots around the court, defenders increase their intensity, something with which Jalen Green has no quarrels. Green can finish through contact, but when he fails to convert on the field-goal attempt, he almost certainly makes the defense pay. Green not only goes to the line regularly but converts a high percentage of those looks. Amongst other players in the draft, Green is the score-from-anywhere threat that not only gets buckets but one that will shine on a Houston Rockets team full of willing and capable passers.