The Rockets could not go wrong with the second-overall pick. The club’s options included USC’s Evan Mobley and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs, but ultimately, Houston went with the ultra-explosive Green.
A highly touted high-school recruit, Green had offers from Auburn, Memphis, Oregon, and others before deciding to play for the G League Ignite team. The decision proved to be a good move. The California native posted solid shooting splits (.461/.365/.829) and averaged 17.9 points per game (18th in the league), along with 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals (16th in the league). Everything that he accomplished this season should be put into context — the 19-year-old was playing against professionals, and it’s very fair to compare his stats to international prospects who did the same.
| Position: | Wing | Team/Class: | G League Ignite |
| Birthday: | 02/09/2002 | Nationality: | United States |
| Height: | 6’5’’ | Weight: | 180 |
| Wingspan: | 6’8’’ | Vertical: | – |
| Shot Hand: | Right | Stats: | Click here |
Green is the most explosive scorer in this draft class. He is an exceptional athlete in terms of vertical, speed, and quickness. The 6-foot-5 wing is a high-flying finisher around the rim, has excellent body control, and can finish with either hand. His first step is extraordinary, and when combined with his long strides and hesitation moves, it’s not difficult to imagine him being an unstoppable offensive force in the future. He is very fluid with the ball in his hands, but his handle in tight spaces could improve. However, the youngster does feature very impressive shot-creating moves, including spinning fade-aways and explosive side-steps and step-backs. Green has greatly improved as an outside shooter over his career, but he still has a way to go. He tends to shoot from his chest — more out than up, with a low release point.
I was generally impressed by Green’s offensive decision-making for a very young guy playing against pros, but he has a long way to go before becoming an effective playmaker. Typically, he doesn’t play out of control and doesn’t force the action; however, he doesn’t make quick reads, and does make his share of lazy passes, not accounting for the speed and athleticism of his opponents. As a result, he finished the season with less than ideal numbers for both turnover percentage per possession (14.9) and A/T ratio (1.05).
Green’s speed and quickness is an asset on the defensive end, but he doesn’t utilize his tools to the fullest. He is generally active, engaged, and alert, but he lacks discipline, frequently gambling and not playing smart team defense. He also struggles when navigating screens, and he could be a better rebounder, as he rarely boxes out and hits the boards hard. In his defense, some of his struggles on this end of the court were related to playing with a number of other young players who also struggled defensively.
Strengths
- Elite athlete who is wired to score
- Explosive driver and finisher; on all drives this season, made 56 percent of his shots, 70 percent within seven feet
- Athleticism is on full display on the break; ranked at the 96th percentile for PPP in transition
- A shot creator with a variety of moves; ranked at the 61st percentile for PPP in isolation
- Defensive upside due to his athletic profile; averaged 1.5 steals per game this season
- Despite his young age, proved that he can be very productive against pros
Weaknesses
- Shot mechanics need tweaking; ranked at the 48th percentile for PPP on half-court jumpers
- A poor facilitator; ranked at the 38th percentile for points and assists per possession, and as a pick-and-roll handler, ranked at the 23rd percentile for PPP, including passes
- Doesn’t get to the line as often as expected; his 2.3 FTA per game ranked 37th in the G League
- Does not utilize his athleticism to its fullest on the defensive end; averaged just 0.3 blocks and 4.1 rebounds per game
- Below-average defender at this stage, lacking discipline, awareness, and experience; ranked at the 23rd percentile for overall PPP allowed, ranked at the 10th percentile for PPP allowed in isolation, and had a defensive rating of 111.9 (125th in the G League)
Sources, Credits, and Acknowledgements
Stats used in our scouting reports come from Synergy Sports Technology, RealGM.com, and Sports-Reference.com. Other outside sources are noted with links to the source. Click here to see the statistical abbreviation key.
