KPJ: Can someone explain to me why he has become Clutchfans favorite whipping boy?

I also don’t care THAT much about guard defense, i car WAY more about Green being efficient and becoming a high end playmaker. His efficiency dropping below last year is disappointing to me. I do expect by the end of the season he will be looking much better, though i’m also a huge believer in his talent

 

I get that you're trying to cherry pick something very specific in an effort to push what you likely know is an inaccurate narrative.

There's almost no one in the league worse than Jalen Green defensively and certainly no one on the Rockets.

Is KPJ bad too? Of course, but he's nowhere near as poor defensively as Green. There's just no honest argument otherwise.

 

What are your expectations for Green that makes you guys super disappointed?

If you thought of him as the next MJ or Luka, ya you'd be disappointed. But a more athletically gifted better ball handling version of Devin Booker?

He's right on tract for that. You guys really have absurd expectations for 20 year old second year guards lol. The only sophomore arguably playing better than him at least offensively is Franz and that dude is in the opposite end of the spectrum for amount of home and road games played and both players have massive differences in their road and home splits.

Did you think he would clear ahead of the entire sophomore pack by huge margins or something?

 

Yes you can write complete sentences.

 

Typical impatient sports fans. We kept saying it prior to trading Harden that rebuild would be painful.

 

You seem reasonable and educated on the game of basketball and you do not look at a player through discarded lenses, as some do.

So, what if I told you that KPJ at the same age as Harden, playing the same amount of minutes, playing with lesser players, all while learning a new position KPJ had better numbers?

Harden's last yr in OKC, while playing 31 mins a game, he averaged 16.9/ 4 reb/3.7 assist and KPJ, while playing 34 min is at 18.5/5.2 reb/ 5.7 assist. I'm not saying KPJ is Harden or better but obviously, his numbers are not as bad as some are making it out to be.

Actually, I see him more as a Chauncey Billups type player and his numbers as of now are better than Chauncey's were at any point in his career.

So, that's why I'm saying, give the kid some time.

 

I expected more consistency offensively, some more development as a ball handler, and him to improve defensively.

I know you'll go to some cherry picked BS about how he's decent on the ball in the 3rd quarter of games at home on the 3rd of the month.... but we both know he's one of the worst defenders in the league and the Rockets hide him every chance they can.

 

Oh i’m all about the rebuild, i still hope we end with the worst record.

 

Green has played 16 road games and 10 home games and he has absolutely massive differences in output and efficiency between home and road games. Yes his efficiency will improve.

Jalen Green at home is averaging 25 5 5 on 63% ts with a 5-5 record. You can imagine how bad his road splits are if he's playing like a second team all NBA level player at home.

 

He does not have better numbers. Hardens age 22 stats completely blow away kpj. That’s why it’s so important to get people to understand to look past box scores, and to look at actual relevant stats

 

I agree

 

I would be encouraged man. His game at home is already helping create wins at his age. That's awesome. And against really good teams.

 

Oh I’m definitely encouraged by his long term potential, it will just take time.

 

Just keep in mind his scoring efficiency is probably a huge product of playing a historical amount of road games in the first 25 games of the season given how much longer road trips effect young players due to not being conditioned to play these many games away from home in this short amount of time.

 

I think horrible is too strong a word, but I think all four of them have been bad. I think of the four you listed KPJ is probably the best on the list, but that's not saying much. This is a team on pace to win 25 games, you don't win 25 games if you have a bunch of good players. You win 25 games because the guys you are playing big minutes are all playing poorly, and that's what we have so far this year. I don't think there's any false narrative here.

 

Bad is even too strong of an award when you compare these players and their stance of development to their peers.

Green is playing like the best sophomore in the class arguably of course as Franz has a strong argument also.

Jabari has picked it up recently.

And given hour home and road splits, we probably are winning more games than expected by the end of the season

 

Okay, but I'm not talking about comparing them to their draft class or their development. I'm only talking about their performance on the court this year so far. Young players play bad, it's fine, they're supposed to play bad, I'm not complaining about it. My point is you can't have a team full of great players who are playing great and everything is great and then win 20 games. If you win 20 games then your players are bad. If they were good you would be wining more games.

 

Harden's numbers at age 22

2011
OKC
62 - Games
31.4 - Mins
16.8 - PPG
49.1 - FG%
4.1 - Reb
3.7 - Assist

KPJ's numbers at age 22

2022
HOU
25 - Games
34.6 - Mins
18.7 - PPG
41.3 - FG%
5.5 - Reb
5.8 - Assist

 

Harden's numbers at age 22

2011
OKC
62 - Games
31.4 - Mins
16.8 - PPG
49.1 - FG%
4.1 - Reb
3.7 - Assist

KPJ's numbers at age 22

2022
HOU
25 - Games
34.6 - Mins
18.7 - PPG
41.3 - FG%
5.5 - Reb
5.8 - Assist

Harden was and is a better score. The proof is in the numbers but we can't discount what KPJ is doing either.

 

Yet some keep preaching patience for KPJ. Isn’t that ironic?