After a relatively lackluster showing in a relatively lackluster Slam Dunk Contest this weekend, Rockets rookie shooting guard Jalen Green is hoping to get another crack at the competition in the years to come, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
“I for sure need a run-back,” Green said. “I messed up.” In one of the stranger moments of the evening, Green handed Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas, a judge for the contest, a necklace holding a cell phone displaying an NFT, then went on to botch his first eight dunk attempts before finally converting his ninth look, a slick windmill whose impact had been diluted, given that Green failed to convert it earlier. He was quickly eliminated.
There’s more out of the Lone Star State:
- The rebuilding Rockets boast several solid prospects, to the point that the NBA has taken notice, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Rookies Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Jae’Sean Tate all were honored with selections to the Rising Stars Game on Friday at All-Star Weekend, and Green made an aforementioned (ill-fated) run in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday. “We are having a difficult season,” Sengun concede. “We lost a bunch of games. I’ve learned how to stay focused during those lost games. I got a lot of experience.” At 15-43, the Rockets don’t appear to be on track to qualify for the playoffs this season.
- New Rockets reserve point guard Dennis Schröder is bringing his veteran experience and playoff pedigree to bear for a developing young Houston club, opines Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Head coach Stephen Silas cited how the veteran guard has helped the Rockets with his speed and his defensive assertiveness. The Rockets of course still have former All-Star point guard John Wall, a player who historically boasts both those attributes and is apparently fully healthy, sitting on the sidelines and earning $44.3MM.
- Mavericks All-Star point guard Luka Doncic would enjoy playing with his countryman Goran Dragic, currently a free agent garnering plenty of buzz on the buyout market, but is not pressing the Dallas front office to make a deal with the veteran point guard, writes Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.