Jalen Green is the No. 2 pick from the 2021 NBA Draft, selected by the Houston Rockets. He has already shown good flashes in the Summer League. It is clear that Jalen Green has a lot of talent, and he will likely have a great shot at winning the Rookie of the Year award this season. Jalen Green might have been a No. 2 pick this year, but he would have easily been No. 1 in some other draft classes.
However, it seems as though landing with the Houston Rockets with the 2nd selection is optimal for Jalen Green. A recent article by Chris Haynes revealed that Jalen Green wanted to be the No. 1 pick, but it seems as though location-wise, he prefers Houston to Detroit. Green made the comparison between Detroit and the G-League Bubble, and stated there was not much to do in Detroit.
“I wanted to be the No. 1 pick, but as for the location, I didn’t want to be in Detroit. I felt a lot more comfortable in Houston. It felt like a real homey environment. With Detroit, it felt like I was just going back to the G League bubble, and I just got out of the bubble. That’s pretty much what it was.
“In the [G League] bubble, I didn’t really have anything to do but just stay in the gym. I didn’t have any time to get away for myself. The only time I had to get away for myself was in my apartment. That’s what it felt like in Detroit. I wouldn’t be stepping outside in Detroit. There are not many things you can do in Detroit like that. You’re going to stay in the gym and then go back to your apartment.”
It looks as though that it wasn’t necessarily the Pistons franchise that made Green feel this way, but rather the location. It worked out for the best though, as the Detroit Pistons selected widely touted Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick instead. Now, Jalen Green will be in a great situation with a lot of touches on the Houston Rockets, and perhaps we’ll see this season why he feels he deserved to be the No. 1 pick.
