Interview: Once drafted, Jalen Green ready to ‘turn it up’ in Houston
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With Jalen Green increasingly trending toward a selection by the Rockets at No. 2 overall in the 2021 NBA draft, the 19-year-old said Thursday that he’s ready to “turn it up” in Houston, if his name is called.
“They’ve already got young talent,” Green told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols in an exclusive interview. “They’ve just got to put it all together on the defensive side. They’ve just got to really lock in. I think I come in with a defensive mentality, and I’m ready to go give it 110 percent on both sides of the floor. I think I can turn it up there, possibly.”
Of his recent workout with the Rockets, Green told Nichols:
It was really good. I got to see what their offense was like, shot the ball well. I think it went really well.
An explosive 6-foot-6 guard with significant potential as a scorer, Green averaged 17.9 points (46.1% FG, 36.5% on 3-pointers), 4.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 15 regular-season games with the G League Ignite. Green was one of the first elite prospects to take advantage of the league’s new “professional pathway” program, which he believes offered superior NBA preparation relative to college basketball.
“I feel like I was a step ahead,” said Green, who reportedly built a strong relationship with young Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. during their time at the G League bubble earlier this season.
While Oklahoma State wing Cade Cunningham appears poised to be selected at No. 1 overall in the first round, Green said in the pre-draft interview that he sees himself as the draft’s best prospect. When asked about potentially winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, Green said:
I think it’s possible. It’s a goal of mine.
On a more light-hearted note, Green said he plans to continue wearing short shorts in the NBA, and he identified young Memphis guard Ja Morant as the player he’s most looking forward to playing against.
The complete interview with Green and Nichols can be viewed below.
