The Houston Rockets have not been in this position often, but for rebuilding teams and teams building through the draft, the NBA Summer League is the spark of hope. In what used to be a quaint affair, the Las Vegas Summer League is where new rookies get their first run in NBA Basketball. It’s gone from organized pick-up games to nationally televised during primetime on ESPN.
After drafting four players in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Houston sent a roster of 12 players that are either Rookies or players who finished their first season, all under 23-years-old, and two veterans to help lead the young guys along the way. Thus far, they are 2 – 1 and have played the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Toronto Raptors. Yes– after a draft that had a “big five” at the top, the Houston Rockets (who had the #2 Pick), have played the #3 Pick (Cleveland), the #1 Pick (Detroit), and the #4 Pick (Toronto). This Sunday? The Houston Rockets square off against the Orlando Magic… the team that had the #5 Pick.
The Houston Rockets are immediately, whether it’s right or wrong, comparing their new young talent against all of the other guys that were other options.
Jalen “Doesn’t-Look-So” Green
That’s an immense amount of pressure to Number Two overall pick Jalen Green, even if it’s indirectly being applied. Green has been Houston’s guy since shortly after the lottery when he became the leaked name tied to GM Rafael Stone. Fair or unfair, Green has seen the task and risen to the occasion. He makes a 20-plus-point outing routine, albeit in games that are shorter than NBA games. Each game he plays shows a consistent understanding of the game at a high level, with glimpses of superstardom shining through in choice moments.
Through three games, Green is shooting 51 -percent from the field, 53-percent from three, and 93-percent from the free-throw line. For a kid that was touted as the top explosive athlete in the draft class, shooting 50/40/90 in an NBA regular season would put him in historic company.
In each game thus far, Jalen Green has opened up the game calculating the defense. He typically takes up to a quarter to figure out the defensive coverage with him in different spots on the court, where his outlets are, and how to capitalize. Typically in the second quarter, Green pushed the issue and forced defenses to break their own rules. And after a short halftime break? The third quarter has been his chance to dominate.
How’d he play?
Green has shown thus far a remarkable ability to move without the basketball. Detroit tried to blitz him. They fully denied him without the ball. They sent the farside double when he did have it, and rotated various sized defenders through coverage to keep him off-rhythm. In response? Green had 25 points on just 11 shots in just 30 minutes played. By his third-quarter takeover, Green was back cutting down the lane and through traffic. He stepped back to elude defenses at the elbow-extended. He knows his spots on the floor and finds ways to effectively get loose from defenses.
Where Green has room to grow is as a traditional playmaker. Houston went into Summer League without a true point guard, and the hope was Green would be that guy. He is a willing passer, but his vision isn’t on the other four offensive players as often as it is on the cup. Green is developing pick-and-roll chemistry with Alperen Sengun and KJ Martin but isn’t finding the opposite side of the court as well as he should. In fairness to the 19-year-old, Houston has veteran Point Guards John Wall and DJ Augustin to mentor him if that is the direction his game needs to grow.
Jalen Green did leave the Toronto game early in the third quarter with hamstring “tightness.” Green, king of the short shorts, did have some tape on the back of his leg during the first half of the game. It stands to reason that it just didn’t feel right after sitting for all of halftime, but the Houston Rockets are being uber cautious and sitting him for the remainder of the tournament. Green’s talent is clear. Frankly, after two-and-a-half games, the more important thing for Green will be finding his fit in the regular-season roster.
Every Team Needs a “Goon”
In what is looking like the steal of the NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets traded two future first-round picks for Alperen Sengun as the #16 Pick. The two picks, originally coming to Houston from Washington and Detroit, were already heavily protected. In all reality, they may end up conveying as second-round picks. But Sengun? He looks like he should’ve been a lottery pick.
Sengun is the Rockets’ playmaker. In many ways, the 2021 Turkish league MVP is an old-school Center. He’s got phenomenal footwork, pump fakes, can play with his back to the basket. Yes, Sengun is as tough around the rim as you have read. Yes, he is every bit as goofy a teenager on Instagram as you have seen. But his biggest role on the Rockets in the Summer League is being the creator on a point guard-less roster.
Sengun’s primary sets have been in “Horns” and very tight Double-Drag oriented sets. He’s a gifted scorer around the deep role, his best usage is in the short. He swings the ball across the court to the open man, takes advantage of bad rotations, and is quick to yo-yo back to the side of the floor the ball came from. Sengun has incredible court vision for 19-year-old big. His skill set fits beautifully into the five-out systems that Stephen Silas runs. It pairs well with Christian Wood because, in different ways, both Wood and Sengun punish defenses on short and long rolls. Defenses thus have a lot to account for with each player and, as a coverage, have to be ready to snap to either skillset as they’re coming off of the pair of screens.
Where Sengun needs to grow, especially at six-foot-nine, is his jump shooting. When the other four Rockets are covered, he resorts to a jab-step and attacks the block to get into his low post moves. If he develops a jumper, even in the deep mid-range, he will really open up the floor. Sure, he hit an end of shot-clock three from the logo. But if he can turn his rolls into credible pops? He really will always have the defense guessing. Further, it will help him in playing the Forward positions with other Centers on the floor.
JayGup’s A Buck
The 24th Overall pick was a surprise to many. Josh “JayGup” Christopher has really improved over the course of the NBA Summer League. Christopher’s intensity has been his biggest asset. He guards tough. He attacks relentlessly. JayGup is a young, strong, explosive athlete. When his motor is running, as it has for most of the summer league, he will be a force on the drive and kick actions.
Where Jaygup runs into trouble is when he settles for off the dribble jumpers. He’s a young player still, and that’s just not really in his bag right now. When he falls back to that, he negates the advantage he gains off the bounce and plays into the defense’s hands. The question for him and the rotation is can his defensive intensity outweigh his handful of poor choices on offense. In the summer league? The answer is resounding yes.
Where JayGup will endear himself to Rockets fans will be his attitude. Christopher is a frequent tweeter. Some not-so-deep digging has brought out his hatred (at age 14) of the Warriors. Yes, the same team who battled with Houston for Western Conference championships. In more recent Tweet history, following a big win over Detroit in the Summer League, Christopher was quick to point to the importance of defense.
Always known I can get a buck… when u know u can score you don’t trip lol cause it’ll find you…strapping up wins chips
— Josh(ua) Christopher (@Jaygup23) August 10, 2021
A dedicated defender of Christopher can be an impact player. If these continue to be the focused post-game thoughts of the young JayGup, Houston has a great young switchable defender for Silas’s 55 and 54 defenses.
Stuntin Like My Daddy
KJ Martin is using the Houston Rockets summer league to prepare for his sophomore NBA season. He spent time back and forth between the NBA and the G League last year, but by the end of the season was a great athletic undersized four. KJ has a bounce reminiscent of his father, and he uses it to the sky for blocks, rebounds, and dunks. Where KJ catches defenses is in how quickly he Springs to the full extent of his vertical. Without warning, KJ effortlessly leaps 45-inches in the air.
In the summer league, Martin is showing that he is working on being a complete offensive player. His set jump shot is clearly improved, and he now has a great left-to-right cross to help propel him to the rim.
Where KJ Martin will grow even more is in both consistent shooting and in giving himself counters. If the defense is set for the left to right cross, can he spin back left? Low-cross back without slowing down? Something else in his repertoire would make him someone that could puncture the defense in athleticism alone. Further, his athleticism has turned him into a fantastic roll man. In an empty side ball-screen action, his burst from the short corner to the rim is unguardable. The help-side defense has to slide over. A Martin roll punctures defense much like a playmaker’s drive.
Some folks online are worried about the slow growth of Martin’s shooting. To their credit, second-year players usually dominate Summer League because they’ve had a full year of professional experience and training.
But to Martin’s credit, the young, multi-positional forward didn’t have a “traditional” first year in the NBA by any stretch. KJ Martin was drafted into the league last November and started training camp just weeks later. He had no Summer League last off-season. He spent a long chunk of the season away from the team in the G League Bubble (as opposed to bouncing back and forth regularly on his two-way deal). Throughout the entire process, he clearly has demonstrated an NBA level of explosiveness, timing, and understanding of the game. The kid is just 20, and his set jump shot appears to be coming along at its own pace. And for a young developing Rockets team that’s ok.
You the Man, Garuba
With his commitment to the Spanish national team and the Olympics, it was unclear if Usman Garuba would be able to make it to Las Vegas for Summer League. After missing the first games, Usman Garuba joined the Rockets for Game 3 the same day he arrived in Las Vegas. While he later admitted he was jet-lagged and exhausted, his length and hands were clearly alert… In just 12 minutes, Garuba notched six rebounds and a steal. He deterred shots at the rim and tormented the Raptors trying to shake free along the perimeter. Truthfully, a rested Garuba playing the entire Toronto game, with a healthy Green, may have been the difference.
Without seeing Garuba’s fitfully on display, that he went out there at all is admirable enough in itself. He spoke of a yearning to grow with the team and emphasized how important that is to do on the floor. This professional mindset is one of the perks in drafting three guys in the first round that have played professional basketball before the NBA. Garuba, like Sengun and Green, has a clear understanding of playing basketball as a career. For better or worse- part of that is showing your teammates you want to grow together. If flying across the world and playing less than 12 hours later without much sleep doesn’t show that dedication, what does?
