Showing out in the NBA in March is not quite like hitting beautifully straight drives on the practice range, but it is close. It is easy to swing free when there is no pressure or consequences. Last month, the first two picks in the NBA draft, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, gave their fans a taste of why they were chosen. Houston's 5-12 mark last month isn't that impressive on paper. It technically qualifies as improvement when you consider that each team only won 15 games over the last four months. It is easier to see the progress of the two rookies. Cunningham had 23 points, seven assists, and six rebound in March, but he was still five points, 1.5 assists, and half a rebound better than his season numbers. Last month, with the help of his 21 points, 3.6 rebound, and 3.4 assists, he was able to surpass his totals on the year. Both hit a level we hadn't seen yet while making me look like a fool for ragging on them in my Power Tankings rankings. My mea culpa will start with Green, who set the record for made 3s (50) in a month by a rookies, and was named March's rookies of the month. Green was labeled as an athletic pure scorer coming out of the G League, and he has a young Ray Allen vibe to him. He shot 40 percent from deep and broke records in March, but it's how comfortable and smooth he is. It's fancy. An Always-on Retina display can measure blood oxygen, is dust resistant, swim-proof, and give you information about your health.
Jalen Green
In his 32-point performance against the Lakers, he confidently stroked a shot from the corner, step inside thearc, and the other buckets. I look to see if Green is comfortable shooting from anywhere, and he looks to be pretty relaxed wherever he shoots.
His jumper isn't as pretty as Allen's, but that's to be expected because only one person can paint. Allen had rabbits early in his career. If Green keeps baptizing centers like he did, they will forget about him.
In order to avoid Green putting up a lot of empty numbers during his time in Houston, the Rockets need to figure out how and who to surround him with. A point guard who can show him how to run a pick-and-roll would be even better. I like how rounded Booker's game has become since Chris Paul got there, and how similar the pre-CP3 Suns teams were.
I had Green's team as the No. 1 tanking team because of Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. The Pistons and Rockets are both in the bottom three of the league, but their five- and six-win months didn't affect their lottery odds. The Houston should have a top three draft pick again and one of the three highly talented players. They will need more than that to maximize Green.
Detroit has less of a problem with team spirit because Cunningham is the leader. He isn't wired to try to get 30 every night, so he hasn't made a legit run at the ROY. He tends to do what the team needs, and that is how you should want your point guard to operate.
I think the Raptors would have a similar record if you swapped him out for a coach like Barnes. The credit goes to Masai Ujiri's knack for building a roster and Nick Nurse's malleability as a coach.
Everyone talks about the opponent's inability to speed up Cunningham, which is a great asset for a young player. He already has a lot in his bag to counter defenses and create open looks for himself off the bounce, which is something that stands out to me when watching him.
A lot of guards see Atlanta's backcourt as an all-you-can-score buffet, and the young hooper out of Oklahoma State was no different when he went for 28 points, 10 assists, and a six boards in a W in early March.
He gets you on his hip and uses his handle to get to the bucket, or he hits you with a half-spin hook shot or layup, or punches it, or goes right down the lane. He will need to improve his shooting if he wants to keep teams honest and prevent defenders from sagging off. He has the highest usage rate of all rookies.
I don't have a comp for him, but I have a grab bag of assets from other players. Brandon Roy was pass-first, and his shifty driving and finishing around the rim reminds me of a guy at the Y who runs the court for a couple hours and never repeats the same move. He can't get a foul call and his jumper needs some work.
The best thing you can do is surround Cunningham with guys he can play off of, and like Houston, Detroit should be able to get one of the three tall, talented players at the top of the draft board in June to put next to their promising, soon-to-be sophomore.
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