One of two major prospects in this draft who came from the G League Ignite program – an alternative to college that allows top high school recruits to go to the G League and prepare themselves for the NBA Draft there – Jalen Green is a 19-year-old dynamo with, possibly, the potential to become the best player in this draft.
A super athletic guard prospect with excellent size, Green has the measurables that make talent evaluators eyes bug out and has tangible proof of what his explosive first step and above-the-rim style of play might look like at the NBA level.
Green was the No. 1 high school recruit in the class of 2020, according to ESPN, but opted to forgo collegiate basketball in favour of the new opportunity afforded to top high school recruits in the NBA G League, with the new G League Ignite team, a special development-focused squad that’s composed of a combination of elite prospects and NBA veterans where those prospects will get paid, get a year to learn a more pro-style system of hoops as well as both life skills mentorship and an academic scholarship to boot.
This past season was the Ignite’s first and it afforded Green to learn from and play alongside NBA veterans like Jarrett Jack and Amir Johnson, while competing against grown men as part of the 15-game, bubble-site G League season this season where performed well, even going off for 30 points against Raptors 905 in the playoffs.
Before the draft lottery, Green was most commonly seen going at No. 4, but with the Rockets getting No. 2 and the positional conflict with presumed No. 2 prospect Evan Mobley with Christian Wood, in addition to Houston’s need for a dynamic, star-potential player to replace James Harden, Green has shot up to No. 2 on most mock drafts because he fits the bill of a possible all-star wing scorer in the making.
Here’s a little more on Green and why he appears to be moving up into the top two.
Age: 19
Position: Shooting guard
Height: Six-foot-six | Weight: 180 lbs
2020-21 stats PPG: 17.9 | RPG: 4.1 | APG: 2.8 | 3P%: 36.5