NBA Mock Draft 5.0: Final first-round predictions before the draft

NBA Mock Draft 2nd Pick: Houston Rockets – Jalen Green

After last season’s fleeting chapters with James Harden’s clamorous exit, instability with organizational direction and then a reset mode with constant losing as the impetus, the Houston Rockets are now on full throttle towards a rebuild. Owners of the second overall pick, the franchise will have a golden chance to accelerate their reboot and get back to competitiveness in the West.

While the Rockets are known to be aggressively pursuing the first pick from the Pistons, which will likely be a futile attempt, netting Jalen Green would be a massive consolation prize—if they can even call it that. After all, the explosive scorer is even the top pick on a few others’ radars.

Green’s shot creating prowess is a feast for the eyes. His athleticism, quickness, shooting and on-court maturity are all common motifs among the league’s upper echelon scorers. With a bit more experience, he should be in that group. Better yet, it may happen in his rookie year.