Houston Rockets: 3 Rockets who could win awards in 2021
By Nick Swanson
Houston Rockets award candidates: Jalen Green – Rookie of the Year
This should be expected. Jalen Green is far and away one of — if not THE — odds-on favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award. Green came into the 2021 NBA Draft as arguably the best prospect, alongside Cade Cunningham. Green’s experience playing in the G League for the G League Ignite team has already shown to help him significantly.
Green made is impact right away for Ignite as well as for the Rockets during the Summer League. If hype wasn’t already high, it got higher as the days passed. The Rockets and their fans are hoping that he’s more than just hype and that he’s the real deal, but time will tell.
He has an innate ability to score the ball and is a very underrated playmaker. He could fit in perfectly in place of James Harden while he continues to develop alongside this core of young players. Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher all will be key contributors for the Rockets this season but Green could end up being the go-to guy depending on how the team plays.
Having Green run the two alongside KPJ will be a very fun backcourt to watch especially since they have so much room and time to grow. Even though Cade Cunningham is one of the best prospects we’ve seen in the last five or six years, Green has the fast-paced, NBA-level experience that Cunningham doesn’t. It wouldn’t surprise me if his time in the G League pushes him over the edge and helps him secure the Rookie of the Year award.