Golden State Warriors NBA Draft: Pros and Cons of Jalen Green

Cons

Even the most promising prospects have downsides. Jalen Green is a mostly positive prospect but there are some noteworthy negatives that come with drafting him.

Questionable Effort

One downside of a player who makes everything look effortless is… well, how often are they actually going to give effort?

Andrew Wiggins is a great example of this. Scoring and defending look so natural to Wiggins due to his athleticism, but with the exception of this season, Wiggins has rarely given maximum effort towards being a high-impact player.

The same can be said for Green thus far. He often settled for contested jumpers rather than exerting himself to attack the rim. On defense, he’s certainly playing below his potential, taking plays off and clearly using this side of the ball as an opportunity to rest.

What is his role?

This is by far the most pressing concern the Golden State Warriors will have with just about anyone they select this year. What will their role be?

Green is an alpha athlete through and through. He’s given no indication that he’s comfortable taking a backseat – and rightfully so. He’s always been the best and most confident player on his team.

Joining the Warriors means accepting a reduced role. Green will be playing the first few seasons of his career behind the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Even closing games will be a challenge as he will have to prove he’s capable of playing in small-ball lineups or outright beat Andrew Wiggins for the spot.

There’s a clear path to success here if Green is willing to embrace being a sixth man. Green can easily become one of the best spark plugs the NBA has to offer. Think Manu Giniboli or young James Harden – that’s who Green could be for the Warriors. Of course, with a bit of convincing and an open mind from the 19-year-old.