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Rockets Engine Jalen Green Launches Up Nuggets Comparisons

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun

The Houston Rockets might not have their minds completely made up. However, rather than focusing on a blockbuster trade, they’re trying to give Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun a chance to lead them to the playoffs. The team’s most talented offensive players, Green and Sengun are oozing with star potential.

Over the past two seasons, the Rockets pair is averaging a combined 40.5 points and 8.3 assists per game. With both only scratching their surface, this is promising. The attraction of keeping them together is more than just how much they produce together though. Green and Sengun can be the seemingly rare 1-2 punch that truly works in tandem.

Rockets Engine Jalen Green Launches Up Nuggets Comparisons

Green believes he and his franchise co-star can be similar to the Denver Nuggets duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.

“I love playing with Alpi,” Green says, per The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. “We’ve had our ups and downs. I’ve played terrible, he’s been good the whole season — it was really me who was trying to find myself from a whole new system standpoint.

The games that we won and both of us scored well, those are the games that will come when it’s playoff season. You see how (Nikola) Jokic and Jamal Murray are — I’m not saying we’re like them but they compare Alpi to Jokic all the time. So why can’t I be something similar to Jamal? Not saying I want to be (like him), but someone that can get off too. It’s a two-man threat every night.”

The Same, But Different

Green is right about Sengun often being compared to Jokic. As he’s a three-time league MVP, Sengun still has a ways to go before being on his level. Nonetheless, the similarities between the two big men goes beyond their European heritage.

Like Jokic, Sengun is a crafty low-post scorer. He has a dancer’s footwork, helping him create space. He usually has soft touch around the rim, getting shots off from a variety of angles. He’s also capable of shooting out to three-point range, though he’s less reliable the further he gets away from the basket.

As facilitators, Jokic’s vision and dexterity are more advanced than Sengun’s. He’s also more fixated on generating assists. However, Sengun has made a number of nifty and precise passes.

As fulcrums, Sengun doesn’t have Jokic’s broad shoulders to help him create space for his teammates with screens. Yet, he still sets firm screens and is a great decision-maker on dribble-handoffs. When he’s working in tandem with Green, the Rockets duo does resemble Jokic and Murray.

Green and Murray are quite different from each other.

Green is an upper echelon athlete, whereas Murray has average —perhaps even below-average —explosiveness, giving him an advantage as a slasher and finisher. They’re both reliant on their jumpers, but Green tends to take more from beyond the arc.

Murray is just a sharper scorer and facilitator when compared to Green due to his decision-making and deft touch.

That being said, there’s no need for them to be a 1:1 match. As Green notes, what’s important is him and Sengun playing off of each other. Fortunately for the Rockets, they’ve shown they can do that at a high level. Now, they’ve just got to do it consistently (and in important moments).

Quenton S Albertie

Quenton S Albertie

Quenton Albertie, a native of Ft. Hood, TX, is a credentialed media member with work featured on SLAM Magazine, Sports Illustrated, USA TODAY and other major publications. Currently residing in Atlanta, GA, Albertie’s favorite teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Broncos.

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