Jalen Green has been on the scene for a while after being one of the top high school recruits. After taking a non-traditional route and playing in the G-League bubble, how does Green compare to other prospects?
- Body and Athleticism – 6’6, 178lbs, 6’7 ½ Wingspan
Jalen Green has been on the scene for a while and that can be due to his extreme athleticism. Green rose to the top and has hundreds of mixtapes due to his speed and vertical. At 6’6, Green is the perfect height for the two-guard. Green has to bulk up a little more as 180lbs won’t cut it in the NBA. If he is able to gain weight, Green’s athleticism will be a deadly tool.
2. Scoring – 17.9 PPG, 46% FG, 36% 3FG
There is no doubt Green’s strong suit is his ability to score. In this class, Green is the best pure scorer. Green uses his superior athleticism to dominate as it allows him to score from virtually anywhere. Attacking the rim was Green’s favorite way to score in the G-League as 72% of his shots were in the paint. Within the restricted area, Green shot 58/81. In the paint, Green also likes to play in the post. He has an arsenal of post moves that seemed impossible to guard. When attacking the paint, Green likes to fish for fouls which works half the time because he focuses too much on making contact. Either way, Green has shown the ability to finish with both hands. Green is a great shooter. Over the past couple of months, Green’s shooting has improved drastically as his shot has gotten faster. Green has the range and a workable pull-up game. The craziest analytic is Green’s true shooting percentage at 61.3%. In isolation, Jalen seems impossible to guard. Off the ball, Green’s athleticism is a huge advantage as he is hard to guard with his constant cutting at a fast rate. However, Green has to improve his three-point shot to be a lethal offensive player. Green can score from anywhere on the court and he uses his athleticism perfectly.
3. Ball Handling and Passing -2.8 APG and 2.7 TOV
Playmaking-wise, Green isn’t anything special. Green’s handle needs to be polished as he doesn’t dribble tight enough making it hard for him to make moves in the half-court. Adding more moves to his arsenal would help him a lot more as he wouldn’t have to rely on his explosiveness as much. In the PNR, Green struggled to find the open man. Green isn’t a natural playmaker but with his scoring, he doesn’t need to be one.
4. Defense and Rebounding -4.1 TRB, 1.5 STL, .3 BLK
This is Green’s biggest flaw. Green is not a good defender. With his athleticism, you would expect Green to excel on this side of the floor. More often than not, Green was lazy on defense. His athleticism provides hope for him to grow on that side.
5. Comparison(s):
Zach Lavine: Natural and talented scorers, top tier athletes, both aren’t the natural playmakers or defenders
Projection: Green is probably the best scorer in the draft. Jalen Green will be a scorer in this league even if it is in a Sixth Man type of role like Louis Williams or a number one scoring option like James Harden. Green is a highly hyped up prospect and should be worth it.
Photo: Mike Ehrmann
