By leaps and bounds
Green’s recent play emulates Edwards’ growth in rookie year
Jalen Green and Anthony Edwards first shared a court as high schoolers at a Team USA basketball camp in 2017. The two guards later faced off at the 2018 Stephen Curry Select Camp, with highlights of their matchup going viral years before Edwards was chosen by Minnesota as the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and Green by Houston as the No. 2 pick a year later.
They met again for Green’s NBA debut in the Rockets’ season opener, a 124-106 loss to the Timberwolves at Target Center on Oct. 20. Green was overwhelmed by Minnesota’s physicality and shot just 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep.
A rematch with the Timberwolves at Toyota Center on Sunday represents the halfway point in the Rockets’ season as well as a chance for Green — and the Rockets as a whole — to demonstrate 41 games’ worth of growth.
“The game has slowed down a lot for me, more than when we first played (Minnesota),” Green said. “I think we’re playing together more as a team, I think we have our rhythm, we know what we need to do.”
Green also has Edwards to look to as a template for progress.
Edwards vastly improved in the second half of his rookie season. In the first half he made just 37.1 percent of his shots and 30.2 percent of his 3s to average 14.9 points. In the second half of the season, he knocked down 45.4 percent of his attempts and 34.9 percent of his 3s while averaging 23.8 points.
The Rockets continue to be patient with Green as he finds his footing, and there is evidence he is trending upward and could emulate the uptick Edwards displayed in the second half of the season.
“I think we’re both exciting,” Green said. “Very explosive, shoot the ball well off the dribble.”
In his first career 25 games, Green averaged 15.5 points on 40.1 percent shooting and made 32.7 percent of his 3s. His season was interrupted on Thanksgiving Eve in a win over the Bulls, when he suffered a hamstring strain that kept him out for 14 games. In Green’s seven games played since his injury, he is averaging 19.3 points on 45.1 percent shooting with a 44.7 percent clip on 3-pointers.
As a result of that improvement, Green is seeing more double teams and having to contend with even more defensive attention — but he has expanded his game beyond a catch-and-shoot threat. In doing so, he has heeded the advice given to him during his NBA debut by Edwards, who encouraged Green to be more aggressive.
Green is more willing to drive to the basket and absorb contact, with the goal being to either score at the rim or draw a foul to get to the freethrow line. He attempted 57 free throws in his first 25 games and in the last six games has already attempted 38.
A large part of that is learning to perfect driving angles, but it also comes down to the 19-year-old simply getting stronger.
“Trying to stay in the weight room,” Green said. “Me and the trainers (are) just talking, just trying to be ready for impact and stuff like that.”
His next challenge is Edwards, who is averaging 22.3 points on 44.2 percent shooting for the Timberwolves this season to go with 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Edwards has scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven games; Green has scored at least 20 points in four of his last seven games.
Facing Edwards for the second time as a professional is another litmus test for Green’s development, and one he is happily anticipating.
“It’s going to be fun, going to be exciting,” Green said with a grin. “It’s going to be a TV game.”