Though he led Houston in scoring at 22.1 points per game, young Rockets guard Jalen Green wasn’t particularly efficient in his second NBA season. The No. 2 overall draft pick from the 2021 first round shot 41.6% from the field and 33.8% on 3-pointers in 2022-23, and his true-shooting percentage was a relatively pedestrian 53.8%.
Then again, there were clear extenuating circumstances. Head coach Stephen Silas was let go after the season, in which Houston finished with the NBA’s second-worst record (22-60). The talent around Green was largely young and inexperienced, particularly after trading Christian Wood last offseason and Eric Gordon at the trade deadline.
This offseason, the context has changed. Ime Udoka, who led Boston to the 2022 NBA Finals, is in as head coach, and the Rockets added accomplished veterans such as Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green in free agency. That superior infrastructure, along with the typical development curve for young players, should put Green in a better spot to succeed in the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Count Frank Urbina of HoopsHype as one of the believers. In a new ranking of the league’s top shooting guards for the 2023-24 season, Green checks in at No. 11 overall. Here’s the explanation as to why:
If there’s one thing we have learned two years into Jalen Green’s career, it’s that the explosive 2-guard can score, albeit not that efficiently. Through two seasons, Green is shooting 42.0% from the floor and 33.8% from beyond the arc. He did improve his swing rating last season, going from a minus-6.7 his rookie year to minus-1.8 in 2022-23.
Regardless, we’re going to judge Green in 2023-24 with a completely blank slate, hence his place in this ranking. For the first time, not only will he have an elite head coach in Ime Udoka, but he’ll also have a far better supporting cast than any he’s had so far during his time with the Rockets. So, we expect the best season of Green’s career in 2023-24 — not just the flashes of brilliance, but consistent impactful play becoming of a former No. 2 overall pick.
In short, while Green’s NBA production to date isn’t worthy of a borderline top-10 ranking among shooting guards, there are legitimate reasons to think it could be in the very near future.
The rest of the top shooting guards list can be accessed here. To no surprise, the list is led by Phoenix guard Devin Booker.
Anthony Edwards jumps to No. 2 in our shooting guard rankings for 2023-24.https://t.co/gTRZRDqTKF
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) August 7, 2023
