What does that have to do with Jabari? They probably said give me Jalen and Jabari and the Rockets said no.
because they wanted Jalen so bad there were reports of them trying to reroute him before he even got to PHX?
Jalen is like...80% contract filler 20% reclamation project right now. Once his contract with Phoenix ends, he'll end up being what he should've always been. Crappier Jamal Crawford. That 20% is what got us Durant though. If Phoenix didn't see at least even a small chance of him turning into something, they straight up wouldn't have done the move. Phoenix would've been a much MUCH better basketball team with FVV + Book + Jabari + Williams over Book + Jalen + Brooks + Williams.
I believe the thinking was they kept Fred since they gave away Brooks. Both guys were instrumental in shaping and guiding this young group. Besides the numbers wouldn’t have worked with both Fred and Jalen being part of the deal. Also would fill the gap at 1?
As inconsistent and uneven Jalen’s play was during his tenure here, the Jamal Crawford comparison isn’t accurate in my opinion. Crawford couldn’t get to the rim as much and wasn’t a good finisher in the paint shooting less than 50% as a starter with the Knicks playing almost 40 min a game and barely cracking 20 points in 4 years there with .520 TS%. Also shot 44% from 2 since he simply missed a lot of buckets in the paint. If we compared their first 4 years Crawford was a very erratic shooter who made very bad decisions and reads often trying to score instead of passing and shot 40% overall. He was also always a poor defender and rebounder his entire career. He was better as an energizer and instant offense guy so that’s the role he played after the Knicks years. Jalen is by no means a great player and highly inconsistent but to put him in the Crawford category isn’t accurate or fair. Green is in a unique category. Talented Boom or bust player looking like a superstar in stretches but fading or a non factor in others.
Times change. Jalen Green was a 94% of the average TS% over his time as a Rocket. Crawford, 98% for his career. So, regarding TS%, Crawford was better for his era than Green is now.
even so holistically examining their body of work, these 2 players aren’t in the same category. I specifically compared their first 4 years and also their time as a starting player to narrow the focus and more accurately compare their level of play. Regardless Jamal was a bench guy for a reason. Where Jalen will end up either starting or 6th man I don’t know. Just looking at their body of work in these focuses.
I think they wanted Jalen more than FVV. They really wanted Jabari, but the Rockets said hell no. I do think they would like to trade Jalen, but just like the Rockets they aren’t giving him away that potential for peanuts. I still think Jalen could explode offensively in a wide-open offensive system.
I have a feeling Jalen will drastically improve his 3 pt shot and maybe pullup midrange according to what I’ve seen him work on in offseason videos. I think we will see some more consistency there. He doesn’t like to play with contact and until he does he will always be this overall inconsistent boom or bust dynamic guard that can put up points but not a star.
Comparing solely the 1st 4...94 vs 94...though Crawford was better not including rookie years. Green was a starter because there wasn't a better option for most of his tenure. When it became obvious Green was not worthy of starting, he was traded. If Green had earned starting, he would be a Rocket. Granted, looking back, Crawford was a starter in his 4th season. Very comparable inefficient players offensively relative to era. Only big difference was who they were teammates with.
I don't think it's the system. Jalen can't "explode" until he does at least two of these three: (1) Learns how to shoot consistently, (2) Improves his shot selection, (3) Starts embracing contact to draw fouls. (Learning how to play within a system is another missing piece). IMO, his basic approach to offense is out of whack and I don't believe he has the mental fortitude to play well over an 82-game season.
It’s not fair to say he did not “earn” the right to start. Who deserves to start in this league then with this logic? Teams draft players and play them. If they weren’t good enough or that the organization didn’t believe they were the best option to put on the court then they wouldn’t play. Very simple. Coaches play what they believe is their best option at that position that gives them a chance to win. He was the best option those 4 years. But management thought better players could give them a chance to win a title and made that decision to move him. Now Crawford’s game wasn’t refined until he reached ATL and played for Mike Woodson who calmed him down and put him in that 6th man role. Crawford was a very erratic and fundamentally unsound player his first 6-7 seasons or so. I disagree with you. Crawford was not better his first 4 years as a starter and I made that comparison to highlight the fact that he wasn’t on the same level as Green when he became a full time starter which was 4 years into the league. Different players, different abilities and skills but both inconsistent, streaky, and unsound in many ways.
