So, where's everyone at with Jalen going into next year?

To be a high volume shooter, JG4 needs to shot better.

To be a starter, JG4 needs to play defense and rebound consistently. He has gotten noticeably better this season, but still has mental lapses.

JG4 is a flawed player. He still has a lot of work to do. This offseason will be big for him. Udoka likely has made it crystal clear what JG4 needs to work on this offseason.

I can easily see JG4's backup, Cam, taking his starting spot next season. Cam right now shoots 3s better and can finish better.

I would like to see the Rockets give JG4 another offseason and year of development ... but ... JG4's trade value might never be higher. My best guess is that JG4 has a 40% chance of becoming a NBA star and getting a max contract. As is, if JG4 was a FA this offseason, I suspect that he would only be offered short term proof-it contracts.

I think that JG4's Rockets future is in Udoka's hands. Udoka has likely seen enough to know what JG4's career's trajectory will be. If Udoka is not sold on JG4, Stone will move him this offseason. JG4 trade value might not be all of that. Guessing his trade value is another high draft choice who is struggling like Ausar Thompson or Cade Cunningham or ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Monk has always been better than Jalen. He just wasn't getting minutes to show his ability. When they trusted him he immediately became a 40% 3pt shooter. His TS% skyrocketed. His assist/to ratio increased each year. Jalen is still the same player. There's minimal improvement in his playmaking ability and that's it. Jalen fans come up with weird arguments like "he's still 22 years 54 days 12 hours old " to justify his dogshitness. He still doesn't have good handles, still can't shoot, still can't rise to the occasion, still turns the ball over a lot, still doesn't have a go to shot. He's only 22 he'll surely improve a lot logic doesn't work in real life. 95% of the bad players at 22 will still be bad players when they are 30. You are telling me that it's him first time seeing doubles and implying that he'll learn to navigate double teams. How? He doesn't have the ballhandling not to get rushed into a turnover and he's not a good passer under pressure. Like you think he'll automatically get adjusted to it despite not having the tools for it.

 

Has to the trade deadline and that's it.

If he isn't playing 3 good games to 1 bad game straight from opening night, he's got to go.

 

The only think Can is better at than Green is spot up shooting. He isn't a better finisher, ball handler, playmaker, defender etc.

Imagine what Cam would look like when defenses hedge on his side with extra help defenders or blitz him.

 

I don't think this is a hot take but let's find out...

I'd like for Jalen to play like post-All star break Jalen all season long. From the jump, not another 4-5 month ramp up.

Technically the start of next season IS after the all-star break, so... yeah.

I believe he is capable.

 

Being able to SHOOT is a VERY important thing for a SHOOTING guard to be able to do.

Now sure, he's legitimately only 19 years old right now, so he's not a finished product, but even at 19 years old he's got a considerably better TS% than Jalen Green has ever had in his career.

I'm not sure he'll overtake the position next season, because Cam has a long way to go defensively, but it wouldn't be the worst thing if he did.

 

Monk averaged 10 ppg on worse efficiency and a significantly lower percentage of self created buckets at 36% vs 60% from Green in their respective third years. He also didn't produce a positive BPM until his 6th season.

So Monk scored significantly less on worse efficiency with significantly easier shot profile.

 

Monk has shot 35.9 and 35% from 3 the last 2 years
Highest Monk has had FG% wise 47% with Lakers

This is his best season assist wise -he’s avg 2.1 TO a game with less usage than JG

JG a SG who at times plays PG, he’s not Harden (who still had TO issues) He makes the right reads - that started last year and improved this year … and at least 2 TOs a game are actually fouls not being called - if you don’t see the improvement in his decision making and ball control it’s on purpose

 

I swear folks just throw a name out and put (better than JG) and hope it sticks - exposing themselves as casuals

 

I'm good

But if Sengun wants to be a part of this team he needs to accept a 6th man role

 

Up until his miraculous turnaround I wanted him gone. I now say we should see how he starts off next year. If he plays well for the whole season then let him go into restricted free agency and match any offers he gets. If he starts off playing like **** yet again, then trade his ass at the trade deadline.

 

I dunno. He's still too inconsistent to build an organization around right now. The potential is there. You won't be able to consistently win at a high level with him until he becomes more predictably consistent and efficient. I definitely wouldn't give up on him.

 

Agreed, his brief hot streak has earned him one more chance to show that he really can be that kind of guy for more than a few games.....but you really can't build around such an inconsistent guy so if he can't come out next season looking more like the guy he was during the fluke hot streak, I think you see what you can get for him.


A guy who is an All NBA caliber player for 10 games a season and a bench caliber player for the rest of the games....is a bench quality player.

 

The problem Jalen Green has is that what he thinks he is and can be is different from what he actually is and can be.

And, I don't mean that just from an ego standpoint, it's more of a skillset/talent thing. He thinks of himself like a 90s star SG but he doesn't have the size/strength to consistently rise over the defense and finish through contact. His elite talent is his first step but he's too small/weak to just go in and finish over bigs camping in the paint. He's also often guarded by guys bigger than him so when he rises up for a jumper his shot can easily be affected. He'll never have the advantage guys like Vince/Kobe/MJ/McGrady had.

He needs to model his game after attacking guards like DWade. He's a slashing small wing. So, every time he touches the ball he should be either taking an open shot or driving into the lane, forcing the defense to shift and pass to an open teammate. He won't get all the way to the cup each time and that's OK. Just breakdown the defense for your teammates.

In the offseason, he should just focus on basic catch and shoot plays, attacking on hard closeouts, and sealing defenders after he blows by them. It's obvious to me that he spent previous offseasons working on "star moves". It seems like he's just as likely to hit that crossover snatch back 3 as he is a wide open one. That's not actually a good thing. With focused offseason training and disciplined shot selection, I think he could easily get his shooting percentages up.

Do I think he'll actually do those things? Probably not. He'll probably train the more difficult things like contested jumpers and contested layups and continue to be mediocre at the easier stuff. So, he'll still be inconsistent because he won't be trusted to knock down the open jumpers or drive and kick to get his teammates better looks. But, he'll have games and stretches where he's hitting contested jumpers and able to get all the way to the rim and finish over guys.

The positive is that Jalen can control his future. He can still be great. That's something only few others can say.

 

I'm back to the point where I want to give him one more season (at least up to the trade deadline) to improve his shooting. He managed to put together an extended run of shooting well for once in his season, so that gives me hope that consistency is possible with him. He needs to work his ass off on his jump shot with Sullivan all offseason then shoot well up until the trade deadline.

He has improved a lot in other areas. I still don't see him as a plus defender or playmaker, but maybe he can be an average shooting guard in those areas.

The shooting is the swing skill. If it's bad, he's a bench player along the lines of Jamal Crawford (with cooler dunks). If it's average, maybe he's something like Zach LaVine with a bit better defense and can make a few all-star games. Anything above average? Superstar.

So for me, I'm not maxing a guy who might still be a bench player in the long run. I might consider offering him a team-friendly extension, like half or a little over half of his max, and telling him "take this now or go earn your max on the open market in RFA and we'll match it if you can get it".

The only thing that gives me some pause is what this all might mean for the team dynamic with him and Sengun. I think Alpi has earned his max and Jalen has not. Do you just max Sengun and let the chips fall where they may? Do you not offer either of them an extension to try and keep the locker room happy?

Just, whatever you do, don't max Green yet.

 

Thank the lord. I thought we had to extend him this summer. I have my concerns with his inconsistency. Hopefully he brings it from the get go next season.

 

I'm ambivalent at this point. There are valid arguments on both sides to trade him ASAP or wait and see what he does next year.

What has been reported by Clutchfans and others is that the Rockets are seeking to add a star to the roster next year. I think there's a high probability that the Rockets will trade Jalen this offseason to bring in that star. They've already tried to do it with Brooklyn for Bridges. I also think there's a high amount of pressure to get into the playoffs next year. It's risky to bet that Jalen and Jabari will have an all-star caliber year next season, so I think both of them will be shopped. But Stone's not going to sell them for peanuts, he has a price in mind and will stick to that.

My personal opinion on Jalen is that he's not going to be the franchise cornerstone he was hyped to be. He's too streaky and inconsistent. I think his best role is a microwave scorer off the bench. I would feel good about him if he was a better shooter, but he's not. I think Cam is developing into a better scorer than Jalen. He makes mistakes, but he's just more explosive athletically and shoots the ball better. If Cam can do what Jalen does better, it makes sense to trade Jalen.

 

Cam isn't more explosive. He is a beneficiary of being a off ball scorer.

Jalen has never read a season where he scored less than 40% of his fgs made unassisted. Came is at 34%. Green his rookie year was at 50% with defenses hedging and adding an added help defender on whatever side he is on.

There isn't a game plan to blitz or trap can. Never was.