Would Jalen Green flourish in a No. 2 role for Houston? One West scout thinks he could

The Oklahoma City Thunder are headed to the 2025 NBA Finals, and they wrapped up the 2024-25 regular season with the NBA’s best record.

To say the least, the Western Conference champions are doing a lot of things right. And while Houston (52-30) finished at No. 2 in the West, that was a whopping 16 games back of the Thunder (68-14).

So, the Rockets still have a ways to go to reach the true top tier of NBA title contention. Yet, there are some similarities between the young roster in Houston and that of the Thunder.

Via Michael Shapiro of Chron.com:

A lackluster playoff series and inconsistent performances over four seasons have left many questioning Jalen Green’s future in Houston (he’s trade eligible in July after g a three-year, $106 million contract extension last summer). Some prefer a more patient approach, hoping Ime Udoka’s program can bring out the best in a talented former No. 2 pick.

“He can’t guard like [Oklahoma City Thunder forward] Jalen Williams, but they’re not that different as shooters and slashers. They [can play a] similar role,” a Western Conference scout told Chron. “With [Green], he can’t disappear like he did in so many playoff games. It’s not really a skills thing.”

The Rockets had a top-five defense all season, so they should be fine on that end of the court, regardless. The questions are on offense, where Green was the leading scorer for a Houston team that struggled in halfcourt situations for most of the year.

Relative to the Oklahoma City model, the Green-Williams analogy falls apart here, as the teams are currently constructed. Williams is the clear No. 2 option for the Thunder behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer and Most Valuable Player (MVP). That hierarchy can lead to Williams, a 2025 All-Star, being able to selectively choose his spots — and often from advantaged situations due to the attention drawn by Gilgeous-Alexander. That typically leads to greater efficiency.

In theory, it’s plausible that Green could perform comparably in a similar role. But the question becomes who the top-scoring option in Houston would otherwise be. After all, there’s nothing close to an “SGA” on the current roster.

Perhaps there’s another leap to be had from Amen Thompson or All-Star center Alperen Sengun. Maybe second-year guard Reed Sheppard emerges onto the scene. Or maybe, as Shapiro speculates, an offseason trade for a superstar (Giannis Antetokounmpo, anyone?) pushes everyone down a peg in the hierarchy.

Should any of those things happen, it’s possible that Green could be viewed in a different light, if he’s asked to take on a different role in the 2025-26 season.

But as things stand today, that’s a significant if.

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