Rising to the top of the draft always brings with it high expectations. The player who arrives as one of the biggest young talents in the world is expected to prove it from day one, but that’s not always the case. The jump to the NBA always involves an adaptation process to which some get used to faster than others. Rookies are usually players marked by inefficiency and impulsiveness resulting from their short experience.
This year, these ills have severely affected Jalen Green, number two in the last draft, branded as excessively chaotic since the beginning of the course. Now, with fewer lights on him due to the poor competitive context of the Rockets and rushing through his first NBA season, the young man thinks he has found his rhythm. “It has been a bit slow[theadaptationperiodIthinktoomuchduringmatchesandIshouldjustletmyselfgo»hesaysinatalkto[elperiododeadaptaciónPiensodemasiadodurantelospartidosysimplementedeberíadejarmellevar»diceenunacharlaparaThe Athletic.
In general terms, his season is still too erratic, but in the month of February at least he has managed to stabilize his percentages, reaching 44% in field goals and 36% in triples. One of his big problems was the level of self-demand to which he submitted, tormenting himself excessively for each missed shot. Now he has been able to leave that behind and be able to focus on more relevant things. «Replays and video. Know when you have to attack or continue with the play. I think I’m much more efficient and aggressive now.”
Green not only has the talent, but an unusual work ethic. Her surroundings describe her as a gym rat, while members of the franchise claim that she ‘lives’ there. The boy asked Curry for advice on how to improve his problems with the shot, and what he heard he liked, since it was about working tirelessly until he polished his mechanics. The coaches agree that his shot execution is much smoother now than it was a few months ago and that has helped him to fit the rest of the pieces together. Perhaps he will not compete for a position in the first quintet of a litter of rookies shiny. But with that fixation for daily work, there is an NBA player for a while in Houston.
(Cover photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
