???? You understand that Jalen signing that extension is what helped us be able to make this trade, right?
They wanted Jabari, I don't know how they came away with not giving up one of the Suns picks.... I do believe the reporters and they wanted it done before the Draft. They sold them that Jalen has enough value with tanking teams.
Being absolutely objective about JG if you asked me has Jalen improved i would tell you he has definitely improved on the defensive end, enough to trust him to read and react and make the right calls. Offensively? no, his ability to read and react and make the right passes - average, no noticable improvement, his ability to attack the basket with different types of moves, no, same old run and attack with speed, no hesitation moves, no increase and decrease of speed, no floater, his ability to have a consistent mid range? no, absolutely horrendous percentages, his ability to hit open shots? probably not. Ability to create his own shots? non existant. It's clear JG has relied on his athelticism all throughout his career which has resulted in him neglecting to look to add to his offensive capability, compare him to Harden, it felt like every year couple years you'd see Harden with something new on the offensive side. Jalen hasn't shown any noticable improvement offensively in the 4 years he's been here and this is ultimately his undoing. The Rockets organization wanted to give him a chance and see how he'd play in a post season, if you take out the 38 point game, he averages about 9 points/game in a 7 game series, Ime gave him every chance to be the #1 but he just doesn't have it.
Before this trade, one can argue that certain group of uninformed, uneducated fans are just haters and that Jalen is actually great and we just don't know it yet. But with this trade, with the Rockets prioritizing all other young players over Jalen, with the Suns unable to find a 3rd team to take Jalen and forced to play a 2-SG backcourt next year trying to improve his stock, there really is no argument that Jalen isn't currently is not considered a good player. Or at least a good player relate to his $33mil/yr contract. Yes, he may end up improving to become a star. Yes, NBA front offices have collectively gave up on players only for them to show otherwise, but at least as things stand now, NBA front offices have very low opinion of Jalen. Including that of the Houston Rockets.
I waited 4 years for him to learn how to consistently square up and shoot normal jump shots without fading, twisting, drifting, or falling away. Seems we are all still waiting. His athleticism is sometimes his achilles heel. Just because you CAN take wild flailing shot attempts, doesn’t mean your should. Jalen seems like a nice enough kid, but he plays like a wimpy Allen Iverson, which was not helpful to anyone.
@Clutch it might not be in your wheel house but if you could lock this thread to put a seal on this era of Rockets basketball, it would be very fitting.
I always thought he would figure it out. I wish that he got Ime for 4 years instead of 2. I think the AAU track, Ignite/no college, drafted to a tank that continued to tank for 2 more years... Fred and Ime came too late for him. He improved every season but only incrementally and that wasn't enough when you've got playoff expectations weighing in. All the auxiliary stuff improved, even the shooting efficiency is on the rise just not to the level we needed. By all accounts he worked hard, stayed out of trouble, never complained about Ime's expectations and when he fell short. And ultimately, helped us nab Kevin Durant.
You can only do that with someone that you think is worth that money (or worth close to that money), you don't just give a guy $106M guaranteed because you anticipate using him purely as trade filler. The claim that Stone and Ime didn't think Jalen was worth anything two years ago is false. You don't offer that contract if you think someone is a complete bum as the person I was responding to is implying.
????? You understand regardless of trying to make a trade work you don't just throw $106M guaranteed to a random player just to make the salaries match the next summer in a deal, right? Because you still have to convince a team that he is worth that. The response was to the claim Jalen was seen as some sort of bum two years ago who they were desperately trying to get rid of for 2 years. If that was the case, and they saw no value in him, they would have just let him expire. Not only did the Rockets see it worth taking a risk on Jalen, but the Suns took on his contract, that is two teams in 12 months that are still banking on him. I am not a Jalen fan, my response was to the claim that he has been worthless for 2 years and they have been desperately trying to get rid of him.
You missed the point completely. They did have some faith in him, I was responding to someone saying the Rockets had no faith in him for two years and were desperately trying to move him. You don't give anyone $106M guaranteed for 3 years if they are a complete bum you have zero faith in, everyone knows how salary matching and trades work, you don't extend someone you think is terrible just to make salaries match. The claim that the Rockets think Jalen is worthless since he was 21 years old and they only paid him to make a trade work is ridiculous. You guys don't understand risk at all if you think that. Not only did the Rockets have hope in him last summer, the Suns took on his contract as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade implying they have hope in him. The claim that Jalen is such a bum that no NBA team has wanted him for two years is false, and it has been proven the last 12 months.
We gotta get this thread to 1k pages before it closes. guess no more Jalen chapters? I need a final chapter : epilogue Jalen thread to end it all.
"centrepiece" Being the centrepiece of a poo poo platter will be the highlight of Jalen's career. That's a whole lot of words to try to (in vain) argue that Jalen isn't G-A-R-B-A-G-E.
