For Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, drafted at No. 2 overall in the 2021 first round, his rookie season didn’t start with the efficiency he desired. But it certainly finished that way, punctuated by a historic 30+ point scoring streak during the final days of the 2021-22 campaign.
On Sunday, which marked Houston’s final game of the 2021-22 season, Rockets coach Stephen Silas made a clear and compelling case for Green earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.
“He should, hands down, be First Team All-Rookie,” Silas said. “But if there was a most improved rookie award, he could be that, as well.”
Regarding his prized 20-year-old prospect, Silas continued:
He struggled in the beginning of the year, but his work ethic and the quiet confidence that he has… have made him to where he is efficient. When he has the ball in his hands, something good is going to happen.
Jalen Green’s 1st team All-Rookie case— presented by Stephen Silas 💼 pic.twitter.com/dNq8IQdMON
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) April 10, 2022
The league’s 2022 rookie honors, which include 10 All-Rookie First Team and Second Team members along with an individual Rookie of the Year winner, will be announced during the upcoming NBA playoffs.
First on the agenda is naming a Rookie of the Month winner, which will be done later this week by combining the month of March with the limited portion of April. Given his recent streak, Green is a virtual lock to win the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award.
