Jalen Green is one of the most highly-touted prospects of the past decade. That statement alone should tell you how good he is. The Fresno, California native went to Prolific Prep school and showed out in his time there. He then led the charge of the first wave of players to skip college and choose the NBA G League Ignite route. In all honesty, he could’ve played at any school he wanted to. Nonetheless, he elected the G League Ignite route, much to the approval of Green and NBA scouts.
Jalen Green 2021 NBA Draft Profile
Post-High School Career
It’s not a college career because he hasn’t gone to college. Green was the first player to commit to the G League Ignite, and others followed shortly after. In doing so, Green was guaranteed earnings north of $500,000. Not bad for the top high school prospect of the class that was already a projected top-5 pick before going to college.
Still, Green balled out in his short stint with the G League Ignite. In high school, Green electrified the crowns with highlight-reel plays, one after another. Wash, rinse, repeat, it was the same thing nearly every game for Green.
Jalen Green leads Prolific Prep to another win at Thanksgiving Hoopfest 😤 @JalenRomande @T_Hoopfest #TGHoopfest pic.twitter.com/8vOjTZTYyU
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 1, 2019
His skills translated nicely to the G League Ignite, which was not a surprise. He averaged 17.9 points with 4.1 boards and 2.8 assists in 15 games for the Ignite squad. He shot 36 percent from three and 46 percent from the field in total. Simply put, he does a little bit of everything and can fly out of the gym.
Strengths
Just about everything, seriously. Green was the top-ranked high school prospect in 2020 for a reason. In fact, if they didn’t have the rule that prohibits players going straight from high school, Green might’ve ended up as a top-10 pick.
He can shoot, pass, drive, defend, dunk, and can outrun just about anybody on the court. He torched the Raptors G League squad for 30 points in the playoffs.
Jalen Green 30 point Performance vs Raptors 905
Dude is a baller. pic.twitter.com/ci0gWxXoQR
— 🦖👑 (@BigRingRaps) April 6, 2021
He has the full package. Would work with college coaches help him more? Who knows, but it’s safe to say his draft stock hasn’t taken a hit at all.
His athleticism and quickness are the best in the entire draft class, which is saying a lot. By the way, he just turned 19-years-old in February.
Weakness
It’s hard to find a weakness for Green, especially since his game is so good. However, his size is an issue. He is 6-foot-6 and listed at just 180 pounds, which is small for an NBA player.
Questions about his size might be the only thing that prevents teams from taking him. However, those aren’t valid concerns. Remember Kevin Durant in college? LaMelo Ball last year?
The list goes on and on of players who were “too scrawny” to play at the NBA level. The team trainers and health professionals will help immensely in that regard.
Also, as mentioned above, he’s 19-years-old. He is only going to get bigger, stronger, and better in every facet of the game, which is a scary sight for opposing teams.
Jalen Green Draft Projection: Top-5 pick
Ultimately, as discussed in the mock draft, it depends on the fit. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs, as well as Evan Mobley, are locked in as top-5 picks. Green could honestly go first overall, especially after the NBA Combine. Either way, he’s going in the first five picks without any question.
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