It wasn’t a surprise when Jalen Green hit the headlines once again because of his incredible performance in his Summer League debut. And this is not only because he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, but because his experience in the G-League already had him prepared to match up with this level of the game.
After watching the game, nobody can question the star he is set out to become, but for him to already draw comparisons to one of the greatest players, like Allen Iverson, should be the biggest compliment ever.
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Jalen Green outshines other rookies
The Las Vegas Summer League was exactly what Houston fans were waiting for. This is the first time fans and teammates see their team’s rookies give a glimpse of what they bring to the table. Fortunately for the Rockets, their pick Jalen Green showed up big instantly.
His debut had him drop 23 points, and 5 rebounds, along with shooting 9-for-18 from the field and 44.4% from downtown. Moreover, his killer step-back game is something NBA fans all knew about, and they got to witness it in this match. Not only were the fans impressed by this, but so was Kendrick Perkins.
On ESPN’s The Jump, Perkins talked about Green and said, “You want me to tell you who he is? He has the potential to be the 6’6″ version of your guy, Allen Iverson. That’s an Allen Iverson type shot right there.”
How did their other rookies do?
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The Houston Rockets ended up winning their opening game in Las Vegas against the Cleveland Cavaliers with an 84-76 score. Apart from Jalen, Josh Christopher and Alperen Sengun also didn’t do badly either. In fact, they added 13 points and 15 points, respectively, with Sengun also grabbing 15 rebounds. Looks like the Rockets have quite a talented young bunch.
Also, Green did much better than Cade Cunningham as well, the first overall pick in the draft. The Detroit Pistons not only lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Cade could only put up 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Also, he had plenty of turnovers and was shooting poorly throughout.
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But of course, their career has just begun, and one game is not the end of the world. However, the Rockets must be breathing a sigh of relief at their choice, right?
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